The True Marauders
by OhMyGiddyExplicative
Summary: The Marauder Era: where merriment and chaos are the norm. The students of this age will affect the entire world with their actions; but, they don't know that now. Follow the Marauders and company through Hogwarts and into their lives in the war.
1. Meeting the Marauders Part 1

**A/N:** This is my first fic. Ohh, I'm so excited to hear all of your reviews! I am a major Sirius fan and cried for so long at the end of "The Department of Mysteries". I really wish Ms. Rowling had gotten more in-depth with Sirius, but there's always fan fics. This is based on how I pictured dear Sirius in the books, not the movies, so if you're thinking that it doesn't sound like Gary Oldman, bear with me here. I love him and all, but he wasn't my first choice.

This is a very "What if..." series. This chapter is one character-centric, later they will be centered around two characters. If you can't guess who by the end of reading this story... Anyway. Enjoy and remember R&R, I'll take anything you've got!

**_Chapter 1: Meeting the Marauders- Part 1_**

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It was September 1st, 1971. Kings Cross Station was alive with the hustle and bustle of parents saying goodbye to their children. Many parents were hugging and kissing their children. Then there were the select few who were crying as their little eleven year olds scurried off into the magical world for, what was quite possibly, the first time the children were separated from their parents. Morgana le Fay was just another child saying farewell to her mother and father until Christmas break. 

"Be careful!" Her mother said. "Stay out of trouble and try your best! I'll see you in December okay, dear?"

"Yes, Mum..." Morgana groaned.

"Oh, you look so grown up!" Morgana ducked another kiss on the cheek and gave her father a hug as he chuckled at her escape. She said her final goodbye and headed towards the Hogwarts Express. She looked at all the other sons and daughters- most were in the same predicament as she was- escaping the clutches of mothers (and in some cases) fathers who didn't want to let go. Of course, some of them were older, but nonetheless, parents were worried. All except one pair. As she came closer to the entrance of the train, she noticed a boy her age with black hair who was arguing with his parents. His mother (who was swearing loudly at the boy) must have had good looks at one point in time, but it appeared she had let herself go.

As she came closer she heard the boy say loudly, "Goodbye mother! I'll see you in June!" He then turned and almost ran into Morgana. She gave him an annoyed look and kept walking. He followed her up to the entrance then they went opposite ways.

Morgana poked her head in and out of compartments, looking for a welcoming face. There were some teenagers that smiled at her, but she couldn't sit with them. Eventually, she came upon a hook nosed boy with greasy black hair, he must be a first year, too. He quickly turned his head the moment she walked past.

"Are you looking for a compartment?" he said, smiling.

"Err... yes-" The smile vanished and he cut her off.

"Well then, you'd better keep looking!" She glared daggers at him with her blue eyes and walked away. Soon, she saw the boy who almost knocked her over. He was with another boy with messy black hair. They both smiled at her and motioned to come in. She looked down part of the hall she hadn't examined yet, there were about 10 more compartments left. She figured she was better safe than sorry and slid the compartment door open.

"Hi. I'm Morgana le Fay." she said cheerfully. The boy with messy hair shook her hand.

"I'm James Potter, this is Sirius Black," She offered her hand for Sirius to shake, but he brought it up to his lips instead, not breaking eye contact with her. It sent shivers up her spine and she pushed a piece of her chest length, brown hair behind her ear nervously. Potter motioned for her to sit down, she took her spot next to Black.

"We were just talking about how our parents are complete opposites," Potter said, immediately including her. "Mine are over protective, his regret his existence." She looked over at Black, who still hadn't stopped looking at her apparently. She could feel his fathomless, grey eyes penetrating her pale skin and trying to read her. He hadn't said a word since she entered either.

"Yes," she said, staring back at Black. "I noticed your mother seemed very..." Black laughed.

"Love, you can come right out and say what you think. I truly would like to hear what you have to say about dear, old Mumsies!"

"Alright. I thought your mother had something stuck up a place where the sun doesn't shine!" At this both boys roared with laughter.

"But, if she despises you, she still cares! Indifference is the opposite of love, not hate!" The laughter died down.

"Indifference would be a relief." he said coldly. She felt a pang of sorrow and guilt for Black. She regretted saying the whole thing. She looked down at her feet and Black looked at her. "It's alright." Then he said more cheerfully, "What are your parents like?"

"Dad works as an Auror and Mum's secretary for someone at the Ministry, she doesn't talk about him much. He's hardly ever in." She paused. Black looked like he wanted more. "They're the best parents anyone could have. Mum's a little protective since I'm the only child, but other than that. Pretty normal here." He was looked at her blankly, thinking.

"le Fay... like Morgan le Fay and Avalon?"

"She's my namesake. She's my mother's mother's- you get the picture. It goes back many generations." Black furrowed his brow. "There's an old tale passed down my family that the children must bear the name le Fay until a certain generation. Supposedly, Morgan's son, Mordred put a wicked curse on all descendants that they have to keep that name, probably because he didn't want his children to bear the name Pendragon after their grandfather. So, my mother saw a very reliable Seer before I was born and I can take a different name when I get married. My mom put an 'A' at the end of my name because it's the beginning of the alphabet and I'm kind of a beginning." She recited it all in one breath. The boys looked stunned. "You do not know how many times I've said that to people!" she said, exasperated. The boys laughed.

"You're alright, Morgana!" Black said.

Soon, the old food trolley woman came around. Morgana didn't have much money with her. Potter had a bit, but not much. Black, however, had galleons since his parents were extremely rich and gave him money for the year instead of seeing him and getting to know him. He bought plenty of food for his new friends. Morgana was glad she came to this compartment, not because of the food or anything, but because the boys made her feel welcome. She had especially grown fond of Black. They were her first true friends, since she didn't really have friends in her neighborhood. The kids at the muggle schools were alright, but she never quite fit in there. These kids talked to her, they listened to what she had to say. She felt as if she had met them before.

As they progressed on their journey to Hogwarts, the soon-to-be first years began to get tired. They had exhausted themselves laughing and getting themselves excited for the coming year, it was dreary out, and the train ride was said to be a bit longer than expected. Sirius and Morgana were especially tired because their parents had woken them early. Soon, James occupied himself by watching them sleep on the floor back-to-back. Once in a while, Morgana would lightly hit Sirius in her sleep and Sirius would start mumbling, usually it was something along the lines of "Ow! Stop beating me with the niffler and help me decorate!" They slept for about an hour, until a girl came in. James woke Sirius and Morgana up so that he wouldn't have to relay the message.

"Errr, hi. I'm Lily Evans. You should start changing into your school clothes." Morgana yawned and stretched. She hit Sirius and looked startled for a moment, as if she didn't recognize him. "Oh, do you want to come to my compartment? It's all girls, you wouldn't have to change in front of them." Lily titled her head towards James and Sirius. Morgana accepted and went off to change. Sirius looked somewhat crestfallen and James couldn't take his eyes off of Lily Evans. She gave him a quick smile and then departed, Morgana following closely behind her.

The girls seemed nice. There were more in other compartments but here there was Lily, Alisson (Morgana forgot her last name), Kiera Lohgan, Catherine Bahr, and Laurel Gremmers. She would've stayed but there wasn't enough room. Promising that she'd see them when they got to Hogwarts, Morgana went back to the boys' compartment. They hadn't even drawn the curtain, so she didn't know they hadn't finished changing their shirts yet since she was fixing the clasp on her robes.

"OI!!" Sirius yelled when she came in.

"Relax, Black. I haven't seen anything, nor do I desire to." The young Black was taken aback at that comment.

"You don't want to, or you can't handle it?" Morgana scoffed at his comment and then busied herself by putting her books in her bag, then paused and took one out to read and buried her nose in it.

"S'all right, Sirius." Potter said, clapping him on the shoulder as he pulled his shirt on. "Everyone already knows I'm better looking than you. They just don't want to crush your feelings!"

"What do you think Morgana?" Sirius said, pulling on his robes as the train halted.

"Relax guys, your both equally lousy looking!" She said absentmindedly, still reading. The boys stared open-mouthed at each other and then smirked and nodded. They pushed Morgana into the seat and ran. She recovered and ran after them.

* * *

**A/N:** Wasn't that lovely. By the way, I know a bunch of weird people with dirty minds so here it is: Sirius looked crestfallen when Morgana left to change because he was having fun and he considered her as one of the guys. Suddenly he was faced with the reality that she's a girl, he's a guy. I know several people that would be thinking something else entirely right now. Alrighty then, anyway. Please review. I have part two done but I really want reveiws from different people before I post it. 

Lots of Love,

Dot


	2. Meeting the Marauders Part 2

**A/N:** Oh, how I love writing even though I don't like my own. I'm very critical with mine. I've been having some technical difficulties lately and I barely have time to post this now.

Special thanks to Chicky. You know who you are.

These'll be more centered around Sirius and Morgana. At least, I'll try

**_Chapter 2- Meeting the Marauders Part II_**

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Morgana caught up with the terrible twosome outside the Hogwarts Express. They could see a lantern dangling and someone calling for all first years to come over to them. 

"Go towards the light, Morgana. The light. It's so beautiful, Morgana, go towards it." Sirius joked in a high pitched voice. James laughed quietly. Morgana was just slightly in front of them, so she stopped suddenly and threw her arms out. "Oi! That hurt!" Sirius said rubbing his chest where her arm hit. They continued walking, now in an equal line.

"If you had real pectoral muscles, it wouldn't have hurt you." she teased. "Maybe now you won't knock me down. It's pathetic really. I'm significantly smaller than you!" Before they knew it, they were at the person holding the lantern. He must have had giant in him. He was huge with a bushy beard and glistening eyes. The three looked up at him, and he looked down at them.

"Hagrid's the name!" he boomed "Who'r you?" They briefly introduced themselves. "Are ya gunna stay outta trouble this year?" They nodded nervously. He 'humphed' in disbelief, but seemed satisfied and turned away. The boys frantic nods turned into their heads shaking vigorously. Soon Hagrid led them to the edge of a lake where there were boats waiting for them. He said that there were four to a boat. Of course, Morgana, Sirius, and James were in a boat with a quiet boy with sand colored hair and calm hazel eyes. He seemed to have an essence of calm, painful, silence to him. Sirius thought that he was just a bit too quiet, but then, Morgana had to be talked to before she had shown what she was made of, and look how she turned out! He would have to give him a chance if they were in the same house.

"What house does everyone want to go in?" Sirius asked. They all answered Gryffindor in unison. He agreed with them. He wanted nothing more in the world to be in Gryffindor. Morgana wanted the newest boy in the group to feel welcome so she asked his name- Remus Lupin. He wasn't talkative but he was kind.

Soon, the castle was in sight. Everyone stared in awe. Sirius spared a glance for Morgana- she had such a glimmer of amazement and wonder in her eyes, she beamed, which made Sirius smile for some reason. When they came to shore, Hagrid ushered them out of the boats and into the castle where they met a strict looking woman with her hair pulled into a bun. She wore dark green robes and spectacles.

"I am Professor McGonagall. Look around. Some of these people will be in the same 'family' as you, the same house. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Your triumphs will earn you points for your house, any rule breaking and you will lose points." She looked at all of them. "Form two lines, then follow me."

She led them to a spectacular room, in which several whispered, "Oooh! It's the Great Hall!"

"Look at the ceiling!"

"Look at all the people!"

There was a table for what must have been the staff. In front of it was a three-legged stool with a tattered hat. Everyone looked quizzically at it and several jumped when it began to sing from a rip that acted as a mouth. The weathered hat sang of great founders of old who began the houses, it also sang of approaching danger and that not everything was what it seemed and that they had the power to change the future- Sirius snorted. After it finished, there was a pause and then enormous applause. Then there was the sorting. First was Jaimie Abernoth- Ravenclaw. Catherine Bahr- Hufflepuff. Sirius was up soon. He walked up to the stool trying to show no fear. He wanted to defy his parents. The hat was placed on his head

'No Slytherin? Gryffindor? Family rebel, eh? Well, you'll succeed!'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius Black was sorted into Gryffindor, he couldn't wait to write to his family. Morgana beamed at him as he walked over to the table.

Laurel Gremmers was in Hufflepuff, she ran over to Catherine and hugged her. It seemed to be forever until le Fay, Morgana was called. Morgana sat on the stool and closed her eyes.

'Hmmm... Very intelligent. Brave, yes. Much loyalty. Naturally, naturally... Well then it's...'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table roared, this evened the number of first years between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Morgana was too excited to care, she quickly walked over to the Gryffindor table and slid into the seat next to Sirius, across from Lily Evans who was also sorted into Gryffindor. She gave Lily a high five while Sirius clapped her shoulder. After Morgana was Remus Lupin- another proud Gryffindor! He slid in next to Morgana, who patted him on the back, Sirius shook his hand. James Potter also was sorted into Gryffindor, he slid into the seat beside Lily. There were others sorted into the houses, but everyone was too relieved to truly care.

The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood up after all of the students were sorted and gave a speech about the potential they all had and how they all had a place in the world and they were here to find it. Then, they ate. Food magically appeared on the table. The food Sirius bought seemed like it was eaten weeks ago. Everyone ate until they thought they would burst, then there was dessert- no one passed that up. Soon, Professor Dumbledore said goodnight to them and the prefects led the first ears up to the dormtories. Everyone was exhausted and headed straight for bed. There were four first year girls- Morgana, Lily, Christine "Chris" Handers, and Alisson "Allie" Etherson. The boys included Sirius, James, Remus, and a short, plump boy named Peter Pettigrew.

"So, Morgana, what are the boys like?" Chris asked slyly. Morgana looked bewildered.

"Errr..."

"Well you must know something about them! You sat by Potter and Black for the train ride, then by Black again at dinner. You two were talking, what did he say?"

"I wasn't checking them out, if that's what you mean. There were no more open compartments on the train, they took me in," Morgana still looked slightly bewildered. Next thing she knew she was hit in the head with a pillow.

"Allie!" Morgana yelled and they all took up their pillows for a fight. After a while, they were all exhausted from fighting and quickly fell sleep. Chris didn't even change into pajamas. They all fell into a deep, pleasant sleep.

They were also talking in the boys dorm. Remus had his nose in a book about cycles of the moon. Pettigrew was watching James and Sirius and laughing at any joke that was thrown out there. Soon, James and Sirius grew quiet. Sirius was curious about the Remus boy so he decided to attempt to strike up a conversation.

"You like to read?" Remus looked up.

"Yes." Sirius thought quickly.

"Do you have a lot of books?" He looked up again.

"I have the textbooks, this book, a book on historical witches and wizards, and one on emergency spells and potions."

"Errr... can a borrow one?" He looked up again in slight astonishment.

"Which one?"

"Ummm... the history one." James threw Sirius a "What are you doing?" look. Sirius just shrugged. Remus took the book out of his trunk. He noticed everything seemed beat up. He felt bad that he had borrowed the book. He didn't want to damage it further, and with Sirius, he was likely to drop it in a puddle or step on it.

"Thanks!" he said as Remus tossed him the book.

"Don't mention it, Black."

"Well, everyone in this room can call me Sirius since we're in the same house!"

"I think everyone in here can call everyone by their first name, correct?" They all agreed.

"Well, thanks for the exciting night, gents, but I must get my beauty sleep!" James said, yawning.

"You'll be sleeping for a while there, mate!"

"Can it, Sirius!" James said from behind the curtains of his four-poster. Soon, everyone turned in and slept deeply the night, they would have to be fresh for a new day.

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**A/N:** I won't be doing day-by-day stories, that would be far too long. Now, time will pass between stories and in the stories. Please review, I love to read 'em! 

Lots of Love,

Dot


	3. First Class

**A/N:** This takes place the first day of classes, okay?

**_Chapter 3- First Class_**

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Sirius groggily walked down the stairs to the breakfast table. It was the first day of classes and he woke up a bit too early for his liking. We didn't even see who he sat down next to, he was too busy rubbing his eyes. He poured a glass of pumpkin juice and yawned. 

Suddenly someone on his left said "Good morning!" Startled, Sirius knocked over his goblet. Morgana looked up from her book at Sirius "How incredibly kind of you! Now I suppose I have to clean it up too!" She did a simple vanishing spell and went back to reading.

"I didn't know you were a bookie. Or woke up early. Or knew vanishing spells!"

"Some peoples' definition of bookie is a person who takes and records bets. And you just met me. Do you even know my middle name?" He thought for a moment.

"Nope."

"Uh oh. Here comes McGonagall." Morgana said, dread in her voice. She was going to get in trouble for doing spells. Just her luck.

"Miss le Fay," she started. "Did you just perform a vanishing spell?" Morgana looked at her feet.

"Yes, Professor." She said quietly. McGonagall wiped the table with her finger- no juice, it was bone dry.

"In that case 10 points-"

"Oh no! Please don't, Professor!" Morgana groaned and looked up pleadingly at her.

"Miss le Fay, let me finish! 10 points will be awarded to Gryffindor." Relief swept over the children. "Next time, let me complete my thought. I might not be as gracious." The corners of her mouth twitched as if to smile.

"Yes, Proffessor, thank you!" Morgana was not going to lose points for her house one of the first days. She earned the first points of the year! Gryffindor was in the lead by 10 points already. Sirius and Morgana ate in silence.

"What is your middle name?"

"My full name is Morgana Antoinette-Caroline Harmons le Fay." She responded, tearing her eyes away from the book she was reading. His mouth dropped just a little bit.

"Betcha can't guess my middle name!"

"What's your mother's name?"

"Walburga..."

"Sounds like a wart or something. Brother?"

"Regulus... wait, I didn't tell you I had a brother!"

"Simple, your parents discard your existence so they have to have someone to dote upon. Anyway, father?"

"Alright, Orion." She paused.

"You're the eldest, naturally, you're Sirius Orion Black."

"It took you that long? I thought you would've just... known."

"No," Morgana said, getting back to her book. "I knew it was your father's name, just like I knew you had a brother. I didn't know much about them, but I knew something."

"Are you a Seer?" She laughed.

"No, I just know things. I have these things that are much more useful: common sense and observation. Sometimes I have Deja Vu or whatever it's called, but that's as close to a Seer as I am."

The Great Hall was beginning to fill in. Soon, the Gryffindor first years were all sitting together in their group. James, Sirius, Morgana, and Lily were at one side of the table, across from them were Allie, Chris, Remus, and Peter. They all had their schedules, potions with Slughorn was first period. They decided to leave earlier so that they would have more time to find their way down to the dungeon. The Gryffindors were the first to arrive, they sat down and talked until Slughorn opened the doors. Slytherin hadn't arrived yet, which was odd because Slughorn was their head, so surely he would've told them where the class was. Finally, the others arrived 10 minutes late, saying they forgot.

"Liars, they were probably waiting for us so they could pull a prank, then they realized we were already down here!" Lily whispered to all of them. She was probably right.

Slughorn thought they should have a crash course, so he told them to turn to page five and make the potion there- a mild, simple sleeping draught. The potion should've taken about 30 minutes to complete. Only Morgana got done in that time. Lily finished a little after her, but she had to help Allie whose potion had turned a deep, mucky brown instead of the light, dreamy blue, the more she stirred it, the more it began to smell like a wet dog. Morgana would've helped but Lily was next to Allie and Morgana was next to Sirius- predictable. Slughorn (deemed Sluggy by the Gryffindors) patrolled up and down the rows of tables, sniffing each potion carefully. He stopped in front of Allie an murmered something about a freshly bathed dog running amok. He started laughing when he came to Morgana and Lily who were sitting next to each other with perfect potions.

"Are you two sisters?" They shook their heads, no. "Well, you should be! How wonderful! May I ask your names and houses, ladies?"

"I'm Lily Evans, Gryffindor."

"And I'm Morgana le Fay, Gryffindor as well." He beamed at them.

"Well then, 10 points a piece for Gryffindor! Twenty in all!" He walked through the last few tables examining carefully and then came back around, in case he could offer compliments or criticism. Morgan coached Sirius on what to add and how many times he should stir. Morgana could only help him so much, he had added too much streeler venom. His was a dark, dramatic blue. Sluggy tested it on a toad which immediately fell asleep but then would hop around and fall asleep in mid-hop and then wake up again.

Next was Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, McGonagall just lectured them on proper wand techniques and how to pronounce some incantations and then sent them on their way. They had all of the usual classes, but they were all lectures. Last was charms. They learned how to levitate feathers. Those who could levitate feathers easily could move onto heavier, non-breakable things. Morgana was one of the first along with Lily. Soon, Remus, James, and Sirius could join them as well. They were levitating books. Not long after the boys got there, the Gryffindor girls were moving on to huge charm dictionaries while they were levitating 75-page books, then they could move onto heavier books. Levitating heavier things was supposed to help them concentrate because if it was over their head and it fell, they would get hit with it, James and Sirius began putting the books over the other's head and "accidentally" forgetting to hold the spell. Luckily, class was over before they both had concussions.

"I wish you hadn't learned to levitate a 680 page book!" Sirius complained, rubbing his head. They were walking back to the common room after charms. Flitwick had let them out early because they did so wonderfully with the levitation spell, so none of the other Gryffindors were back yet. There were still about 10 minutes before classes ended. James said the password (Mackled Malaclaw) and they entered the common room. Sirius was still rubbing his head. Morgana didn't know him very well, but she knew that he didn't complain about any little thing that went wrong.

"Here, let me look." she said gently. She parted his black hair as the others went to set their bags in their dormitories. There was a huge lump beginning to form and it was scraped up and slowly bleeding. "Did you get hit with the corner?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

"I'm way too young to do anything myself... We'll take you to the Hospital Wing." Sirius turned around, her nose was barely an inch from his.

"Is that truly necessary?" She poked his head, making him yelp in pain.

"I think so. Come on, the sooner we go, the sooner we get back." The two first years walked down to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey fixed Sirius' head up in a heartbeat and they headed back. They could hear people coming up the stairs from classes. Unlike them, Sirius and Morgana traveled in silence.

They got in just before the older students. "Where were you?" James said, eyeing them.

"Fixing Sirius' head." Morgana replied. "I'll have to learn healing charms with you two around! It's the third day of term and already, one's gone to the Hospital Wing!" Both boys grinned proudly. She got her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and began to carefully read chapter one as students filed in. Sirius watched her. She acted very mature for 11. Sirius would turn 12 on the 19th of September but he didn't know her birthday, she had to be older than him.

'Just out of curiosity...' he thought.

"Morgana!" She looked up, as she often did, from her book to look at him. "What's your birhday?" she gave him a bewildered look.

"November 1st." He nodded to show he understood and walked off but not before- "When's yours?" he turned around quickly.

"September 19th." She started reading again then.

'She's younger!' he thought.

'Merlin, I'll need to learn a burn healing spell by then. They'll light each other on fire with candles!' she told herself.

Not long after, some fifth years come over to the table Morgana was sitting at. They needed one more seat.

"Hi! I'm Molly Prewett. What's your name?" A matronly-looking seventh year with bright red hair girl bent down to be eye level with her.

"Morgana le Fay. All you had to do was ask, here sit down." She marked her book, grabbed her bag and headed towards the dormitories.

"Thanks, Morgana!" The girl waved at her, Morgana waved back and disappeared up the staircase. Allie was talking with Chris on her bed, Lily was on her own bed closing her Defense book. She smiled as Morgana walked over. The two girls had grown to be wonderful friends in a matter of days. Allie and Chris also got along beautifully with each other, although they were complete opposites. Allie was shy and laid back while Chris was outgoing and hyper.

"Did you finish yet?"

"Nah, some seventh years invaded my table so I had to forfeit and came up here. I have a page or two left." Lily shook her head.

"Don't bother, it's useless. It was just a summary. A very poor one at that."

"Thanks, I didn't want to dig it out again."

"Dinner'll be starting soon. We could go down in a few minutes." Morgana suddenly remembered that she only ate a piece of toast today. Today had seemed to go so fast. It was already a little after 5:00.

"Want to go down to the Common Room?"

"Sure!" Lily said. They came down the stairs to the Common Room. The boys were there, Chris and Allie came down behind them, it seemed as if all of Gryffindor was there, which was very likely.

"Oh! I didn't send Mum a letter!" Morgana remembered. Lily hadn't either.

'I'll do it after dinner...' Morgana thought.

"Hey, Black! Did you tell your mum about the sorting?" Morgana said, approaching him. He grinned.

"I'm expecting a Howler soon. Call me Sirius, by the way. Let's stray away from that whole 'Black' thing. Hate that bloody name..." They looked at the clock, everyone was leaving- time for dinner. The gang of eight stepped out of the common room and headed off again.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, this chapter served no purpose. It took me longer than the other two to write. My niece keeps looking over to see what I'm doing but I don't want her to see it until it's finished. She doesn't like reading anyway! (Weirdo. rolls eyes) I really can't wait to write about their later Hogwarts years. Now they're so innocent and cute, I want to write about the times when they're not. Ohh, I can't wait! This is pretty fun too, though. Remember to review, my dears! 

Lots of Love,

Dot


	4. Friends

**A/N:** Okay, guys. I wrote the first version of this chapter- to put it frankly, bluntly, as my niece would say, it sucked. So I thought "Dot, just rewrite it!" And I did... and then I rewrote that... and here's what came of it. As usual, I have other things I should be doing but, oh well. By the way, this chapter will make up the rest of their first year. Yes, I know, I'm a terrible person for making it that compact or whatever. I'm going to have to make it something like one or two chapters to equal a year, otherwise it would be longer than... I don't know what. Right now its going to be long. I can see my life before me- an endless sea of fanfiction...

**_Chapter 4- Friends_**

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It was the first day of Christmas break, everyone would be leaving today for the holidays. Every Gryffindor first year was leaving. Sirius' mother had sent a letter, telling Dumbledore that Sirius was not to go with anyone on Christmas break. McGonagall said that she couldn't remember the number of people going home for Christmas ever being this high. Sirius walked Morgana outside for the carriages, the others were ahead of them.They were all bundled up- scarves, mittens, hats, books, thick coats- everything.

"What am I going to do?! No one's here!" he moaned.

"Well, we have our assignments-" she began.

"You're joking right?"

"-then there are these wonderful things called books. You should check into that..."

"You're hilarious," he said, sarcastic. They arrived at the carriages.

"Well, it's about that time, Sirius," Morgana said, not really knowing how else to say it. How could a mother be so cruel? Sirius couldn't even go to James' house! If she ever met that woman... She stretched her hands. The others said their good-byes to him and packed into the carriage.

"Have a good holiday," she said, smiling.

"You too, have fun," Sirius replied. Morgana turned towards the carriage and took a step forward, she felt terrible. She spun back around and threw her arms around Sirius, he returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," she said. He shook his head and Morgana went back to the carriage. As soon as the door closed, they began to move. She looked out the window, Sirius looked like a lost puppy as he watched them disappear. As they headed out of the gates, he turned and walked back to the castle.

"Mum!" Morgana exclaimed, throwing her arms around her mother.

"Morgana!" her mother laughed. She broke away from her mother after a few moments and hugged her father.

"We missed you so much!" her father said, embracing her tightly. "Look at you! Merlin, you've grown!" He studied her in awe for a moment.

"Can we go inside, I'm cold!" She said after a few uncomfortable moments. Her mother ushered her inside. She made some hot chocolate as Morgana took off her jacket, scarf, mittens, hat, and boots.

"So, what's been happening at Hogwarts?" her father said, sitting down. Morgana ran into the kitchen. She felt like a five year old. At Hogwarts, you were basically on your own. Here, Mum took care of you.

"Well, I've been doing really well in my studies."

"What's your favorite class?"

"Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts, I can't decide, really I love all my classes."

"Well that's good. How about friends?"

"There's Allie, she's really nice and kinda quiet she's best friends with Christina, or Chris. Chris is really outgoing and sort of loud, but she's very nice, too. Lily's my best friend." She began to tell them the whole history of Lily Evans.

"You should have her over this summer," Morgana's mother said, thoughtfully. Morgana nodded. "Any more friends?"

"Peter, he's kind of weird, I don't like him much. He hangs around with Remus, James, and Sirius. James is alright, he's fun. Remus is really quiet and bookish, really nice too. Then there's Sirius..." she paused, furrowing her brow.

"Something wrong?"

"Well, Sirius is great, but his mom is... evil."

"You don't mean that!" her mother said, stern.

"She hates Sirius! She's cruel to him! She won't let him come home for the holidays or go to anyone else's house. Try to tell me that's a good mother!"

"Well, someone will be there and spend some time with Sirius at Hogwarts."

"Nah, most people left. I felt bad when we left, he looked so miserable."

"What's he like?" So Morgana did with Sirius, as she did with Lily- she told her parents everything about him.

"He sounds very nice, dear," her mother said. "Wow, look at the time! We'd better start getting to bed." Morgana said 'goodnight' to her parents and went up to bed. Her mother had reorganized her room. She turned over onto her side and looked out the window, hoping that Sirius had found something to do, but knowing that he didn't.

The next day, Morgana came downstairs, her mother and father deep in conversation. They saw her and stopped talking. She shrugged and sat down. After that, they were completely normal the whole day. Everything was normal. Then, on Christmas Eve, Morgana woke up to an owl rapping on her window. She let it in and it flew down to her parents in the kitchen. She ran after it. Her mother untied the letter and read it, nodding slowly.

"Morgana, you said that Sirius was really down because no one was around at Hogwarts over the holidays..."

"Yes. I wish there were something I could do."

"Would you like to go back to Hogwarts for the remainder of break?" Morgana's eyes widened.

"You can do that?!"

"Yes, easily!" her mother laughed. Morgana nodded.

"I think that'd be good."

"Well, you can floo into Hogsmeade. They're having some trouble with the Floo Network at Hogwarts, and then you can get to the castle from there."

"Are you guys okay with it, though?"

"It's fine with us." That day, Morgana repacked her trunk and got her things together. Her family opened her presents with her. What she would need or could use or school, she took with her, the rest she left in her room. Her parents got her trunk into the fireplace after shrinking it and then Morgana followed. Before she left, her parent hugged her 'goodbye'.

"You know, it's really nice of you to do this, honey."

"It's not that big, Mum. He'd do it for me." She tossed down the fistful of emerald powder. "THE THREE BROOMSTICKS!!" and in a whirl, she was gone.

A warm room began to form as Morgana spun in the warm flames. A pretty barmaid hurried towards the fireplace, a young girl at her heels.

"You must be Morgana! I'm Celina and this is Rosmerta." she gestured to the young girl, she must have been a year or so younger than Morgana. "Hagrid's taking you over. HAGRID!" she called. The huge man took great strides over to the bar.

"Whaddaya need, Cel- Oh! Hullo, Morgana!" he boomed. "I'm ta take 'er then?" Celina nodded, buttoning Morgana's coat. "Well 'ang on. I've got ta tidy up a bit firs'!" He went back to his table.

"Why are you going back so early, dear?" the barmaid asked Morgana.

"My friend couldn't go anywhere for the holidays and everyone else left, so I came back."

"That's so sweet! What's your friend's name?"

"Sirius Black."

"That's a nice name. Here, you take a bottle of butterbeer for you and Sirius. Free of charge! Hagrid, take care of that later! This young lady's on a mission!"

Sirius picked at his quilt on his bed. He had done everything there was to do. He couldn't do any pranks, you needed someone to enjoy it with. He had walked around the castle several times over and was bored. He began to think that he might have to do his assignments. Sirius walked over to his trunk looked out the window of the boys' dormotory. Hagrid was trudging through the snow, a student was behind him. He flopped back onto his bed. Suddenly, he looked back out the window and grabbed Remus' telescope from his night-stand and peered out the window. He whooped with joy and ran. They were almost at the door. He bolted down the hallways and slid down the banisters. Hargid and Dumbledore were talking as Morgana made her way through the Great Hall, looking up at the ceiling, dragging her trunk. She saw him and beamed, looking just like a Christmas card. Her cheeks were rosy-pink and snowflakes glistened on her eyelashes.

"Why'd you come back? I thought you were spending the holidays with your parents?"

"I thought I should be here," she said simply. He laughed.

"I don't mind." He helped her move her trunk upstairs and told her how bored he had been since everyone left. Once they made it up to the staircase of the girls' dormitories, Morgana had gotten it to levitiate a decent height and put it back where it had been. She came back downstairs.

"Do you know, there are no other Gryffindors here?" he said.

"Really?! Wow..." Sirius began to entertain her by doing all sorts of odd things- cartwheels, attempted back-flips. They messed around until it was dinner time. Then they went to eat and came back up and joked. They had the entire Gryffindor Tower to themselves. Eventually, Morgana decided to depart for the night.

"Good night," she said, walking up the stairs, slowly.

"Night," Sirius replied, smiling. It had been a better day than expected. A much better day.

"Thank you!" Someone yelled, flopping on top of Sirius' bed.

"Gah! Whosat?!" he exclaimed, groggily.

"Morgana, you dote! Who else?!" Sirius opened his eyes as Morgana fumbled with a ribbon on a package Sirius had given her.

"You didn't even open it yet?"

"No. You didn't even wake up yet?"

"No."

"Open the one I gave you. It's in the blue and silver." Sirius scooted to the foot of his bed- there was a great stack of presents.

"Are these all mine?!"

"I would imagine." Morgana finally got the ribbon untied and ripped off the paper, revealing a square, white box for clothing. She gave it a puzzled look and flipped the lid back. Inside was a purple, crocheted cap, a pink and purple crocheted flower pinned on.

"I love it," she said, happily.

"It's kind of random, but I thought you'd like it. I got you these too." he threw her a pack of Chocolate Frogs.

"Thanks!" she put the hat on over her soft brown hair. Sirius opened Morgana's gift- a set of mirrors. He gave her a bewildered look. She took one of the mirrors and walked off. After a few moments, he looked back at the mirror, Morgana was smiling at him.

"It's a two-way mirror!" she said, smiling up at him. "I figured you and James could use these when the two of you are in detention or something." She walked back through the door and sat down on the bed. "Dad and I used to use these when he was away, but we don't use them anymore. I thought you'd get more use out of them." He thanked her and they sat in silence for a few moments.

"Morgana, are we friends?" he said suddenly. She looked at him confused.

"Yes. If we weren't I wouldn't have spent Christmas here." she reminded him simply. He slowly nodded.

"I'm glad. I'm glad you came back." She threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad I came back, too."

Morgana and Sirius had been tighter than ever since Christmas. Lily often was with her as well, but could be found more with James and Remus. As the days, weeks, and, eventually, months passed, they became more and more like a family. By the time end of term came around, everyone knew everything about everyone else. It seemed unbearable that they would have to spend almost three months apart. Finally, they were on the train, making their way back Platform 9 3/4.

"Are you going to write?" Morgana asked Sirius as they walked back to the platform.

"As much as I can," he replied, simply.

"I can't believe the year's gone already! We won't see each other for months!" Lily said, sadly.

"We could always get together or something," Allie piped up.

"I can't. Mum." Sirius reminded them. Morgana gave him a sympathetic look. Allie and Chris went to their parents. Remus and Peter said "goodbye" and left. James and Lily said their farewells and also hurried off eagerly towards their parents. Morgana and Sirius were left alone to say farewell.

"Write often, alright? Don't let your family get you down, either." Morgana reminded him.

"Yes and I won't. Have a good summer." he said, guiding her towards her parents. She hugged him.

"This time, I can't come back and spend the holidays with you," she whispered in his ear. They pulled apart and she kissed him quickly on the cheek. They exchanged half-hearted smiles and Morgana walked back to her parents.

"Is that Sirius?" her mother asked, curious.

"That's him," Morgana replied. She walked back to the platform, leaving her friend behind for another horrible summer. "I can't help you now," she murmured, wishing she didn't care so much.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, really bad ending. It went so quick and I spent so much time on Christmas, but oh well. I liked just about everything in this chapter except the ending. That's weird for me to like my own writing. Anywho, ya'll know the drill.

Cheers,

Dot


	5. A Broken Home

**A/N:** First fic of 2nd year. Oh joy. ; ).

**_Chapter 5- A Broken Home_**

* * *

"Hi!" Morgana said cheerfully to Sirius as they boarded the Hogwarts Express. Sirius gave a quick reply and kept walking. Something wasn't right. She ignored it, but even when everyone else was in their compartment, he seemed changed. He was so quiet, at least when he was talking to Morgana. He didn't even look at her and barely said more than two words when he spoke to her. 

'Maybe I'm just imagining it,' she told herself. 'Or maybe it'll be better at school or something.' But even after they arrived at Hogwarts, he was barely lukewarm to Morgana. He wasn't mean or anything, but he acted as if she was just another student and didn't know her. 'He'll be better tomorrow,' she told herself as new students were sorted into their houses. They had known each other for a year exactly, and now... Morgana made it through the end of supper and then went up to the dormitories with the rest of the girls. And though she told herself it was nothing, nothing was bothering her friend, she knew she was lying to herself.

A few days later, nothing had changed. Sirius sat between James and Remus during classes, got up as soon as Morgana reached the table for meals, went to the boys' dormitories when Morgana came into the Common Room, it seemed as if he would do anything to keep away from Morgana.

"Did you notice anything... odd about Sirius lately?" Morgana asked Lily one day.

"Apart from being Sirius? Well, now that you mention it, he's been different." she replied thoughtfully. "He's been... He hasn't talked to you as much, has he?"

"I can count how many words he's said to me on my fingers," she said dully.

"You should ask him what's wrong. Something's wrong."

"I know, I just can't seem to catch him."

"Wait in the Common Room, stay out of sight. He's bound to come down sometime." Morgana nodded, thanked her, grabbed a large book, and went downstairs. By the time Sirius came down, she had been there for two and a half hours. She snapped her book shut and walked up behind him.

"Follow me," she said to him. She led him out of the Common Room, past the portrait of the Fat Lady, and into an empty classroom. "What's wrong?" she asked him, closing the door.

"What do you mean?" he said, staring at his feet.

"I mean that that's the longest string of words you've said to me since term began. Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

"You won't look at me." Sirius pushed his head upward, but stared at something past Morgana's head.

"What did they do to you?" she whispered, taking a step forward, he took one back. Finally, he looked her in the eyes.

"My mother saw us saying goodbye. She told me not to have anything to do with you. That's it."

"You're lying."

"I'm not lying. I'm just not telling you everything. Can't I have a life that you don't know about?"

"That's fine, but at least tell me if I did something to make your summer a living hell."

"You did." She felt her heart break, hearing the hollow tone of his voice. There was no emotion at all.

"Please tell me." Desperation clouded her voice. He sighed.

"Dear Mummy saw us saying goodbye. She didn't like it that I had friends in a house that she hated, the friend was a girl nonetheless. She told me that I should have nothing to do with you. I told her it was my life and that she couldn't stop me. I told her that you were a great person and that I had fun with you." Morgana shook her head, holding back tears. She knew that whatever had happened was terrible. She didn't want to know but knew that she needed to be there. He sighed and continued. "At first, they just hit me or yelled at me or something. Then, they hit me more and more frequently. She asked me everyday what I thought about you. I said 'Morgana is my friend. She's fun, she's kind. She's my friend.' That's all I said. Soon, my father got in on it. You wouldn't believe the bruises they left."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, almost silently. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault. I could have lied, but I didn't. It's really my fault. You were just being a friend and my parents saw." He subconsciously touched his right side.

"Are you okay? What's wrong with your side?"

"The night before term began, Mum pushed me and I fell down the stairs. Cut myself on a nail sticking out." Morgana's eyes widened, she looked worried.

"Can I see?" He lifted his shirt just enough for Morgana to see the cut- it was just a hair shorter than her hand. "It's huge!"

"It's really not very deep though." Morgana covered her mouth momentarily with her hand then gently ran her fingers along the side of the bright pink gash. Since the end of first year, no one had made physical contact with Sirius except for hitting him or something of the like. When Morgana brushed her fingers against his side, he felt safe and somewhat happy and content. She shook her head again but this time, tears fell.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed, repeating the same three words over and over. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, running her fingers through his thick, black hair. He returned the embrace and rubbed his hand along her back, telling her it was alright. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped her tears away.

"You see why I didn't write back," he said, she forced a laugh.

"We need to tell someone," she said. "What if this happens next summer? You can't go through this again."

"Well, what should I do?"

"Go to Dumbledore." Morgana looked at him, it was the only option.

**OoO**

"You need a witness to prove that," Dumbledore said. Sirius and Morgana had gone straight to his office and told him the entire story.

"Well, it's not like someone can go back and see it again. Regulus won't tell and he was the only one who could have seen other than my mother or Kreacher," Sirius said, looking hopelessly at the headmaster who just smiled knowingly.

"There is a way..." he reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. Sirius looked from the wand to Dumbledore nervously. "I need you to concentrate on the memory, concentrate very hard." The old man got up and walked over to Sirius, pointing his wand at the student's head. Sirius looked frightened but swallowed, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. Dumbledore put his wand to Sirius' head and pulled something silvery out. Morgana recognized it as a memory. The headmaster took the memory, still at the tip of his wand, over to a cabinet. A door opened and a basin floated over to the desk. He beckoned for the two students to come over as he placed the memory in the basin. "Look..." Morgana gave him an emotionless look and leaned over, Sirius followed suit. Soon, she was tumbling into an abyss of darkness. Suddenly, she was standing in a dreary bedroom. She looked around and saw Sirius and Dumbledore standing beside her then saw another Sirius laying on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"SIRIUS! GET DOWN HERE!" The boy on the bed sighed as someone shrieked from downstairs. He walked reluctantly out of the bedroom, the others followed. They arrived downstairs, a horrible-looking woman sat on the couch. "Another owl arrived from that wretched girl." Sirius said nothing. "I don't want you to associate with her," there was a note of subdued fury in her voice.

"Morgana's a good person," he replied simply.

"I don't want to hear you associated with that girl," she repeated, the anger a hint more pronounced.

"I assure you, _mother, _you won't hear about it," he spat venom with the word "mother". He turned on his heel and walked up the stairs.

"Sirius, come back here, I didn't say you could leave," but he kept walking as his mother repeatedly called him, the rage in her voice grew. She followed him up the stairs as he slammed his door. Morgana hadn't looked at the present-day Sirius yet. She felt too ashamed to. This was all her fault. Mrs. Black tried the doorknob but it was locked. She let out a howl of rage and blasted it open with her wand. "I SAID I WASN'T FINISHED YET," she growled loudly. She grabbed Sirius by the hair and dragged him into the hallway landing as he fought back. Apparently, she was more powerful than she looked. Morgana glanced to her right, there was Regulus who would start at Hogwarts next year, he looked like an ignorant 4-year-old. She looked back at Sirius and his mother. She covered her mouth with her hands. His mother said every foul word about Morgana while Sirius spat insults back at her. Finally she pulled his head all the way back.

"You care more about this piece of filth than you care about your family?!" she howled. He gave her a defiant glare.

"She is my family, you're not." She let out another howl of rage and threw Sirius down the stairs. He tried to grab onto the banister but part of it broke away. He toppled, stair after stair. Morgana ran down after him, knowing that she could do nothing, but wishing she could. A few stairs down, she could see, was the nail which Sirius had said he had gotten the cut on his side from. A second later, he hit the nail. She heard him gasp. Finally, he stopped after about five more stairs. For a few moments, he was completely still. Morgana's heart stopped for a moment until she realized that if something had happened, Sirius wouldn't have the memory to give, he wouldn't be alive to tell what had happened. A minute later he began to groan. She heard steps pounding down the stairs behind her. Sirius' mother came down the stairs.

"Is your 'family' here to help you now?" Morgana couldn't believe the hatred in the words Mrs. Black uttered to her eldest son. Weary after what she had saw, Morgana sat down on the steps, her feet on the last stair above where Sirius lay. She covered her head with her arms but didn't cry, she just wondered, wondered how someone could be so cruel to their own flesh and blood. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up, Sirius was crouching on the step behind her. She forced a smile.

"Let's get out of here," he said, returning the sad smile. As soon as he said that, she felt herself rising into blackness and was back in Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster said he would take care of the matter and then sent them out to bed. After they got into the Common Room, Sirius said "goodnight" to Morgana and then began to head up to the boys' dormitories.

"Sirius, do you really consider me family?" Sirius turned back, facing Morgana at the bottom of the staircase.

"Sure I do. I know I'm not old or anything, but I don't go back on what I say. Not yet, at least." Morgana smiled.

"I know." And then she turned around and went to the girls' dormitories. Sirius gave a ghost of a chuckle and then disappeared up the dark, winding staircase.

* * *

**A/N:** What that ghost of a chuckle thing is, I don't know. Just something I made up, I guess. Ya'll know what I mean, right? Alright. 

**EDIT:** Something happened and the last line didn't come out. Sorry if it caused confusion...

Ta,

Dot


	6. Weakening

**A/N:** I know! I know! I've been... not writing lately. I'm on break and you think I would write! I guess I've never really been predictable. I've been having problems getting on the computer to write, as well, lately. Please, spare me, my few-and-far-between readers! Spare me your cyber-hate! lol.

**_Chapter 6- Weakening_**

* * *

The remainder of October 1972 passed calmly, or as calmly as possible with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter (the Marauders, they were calling themselves now), the same could be said for November, December, and all the way to the end of May 1973. Nothing more was said about Sirius' home life or his mother, it appeared Dumbledore really had sorted it out. The Blacks had even sent Sirius a quill for Christmas, though Morgana could have sworn the exact one had been in Dumbledore's office and had disappeared around December. Second year exams were over and everything seemed to be back in order. But not quite.

Even though the ordeal with Mrs. Black's impression of Morgana seemed to be done and over with, Sirius and Morgana's relationship was not what it had been the previous year. They were still close friends, but they did not talk nearly as much as before and it was beginning to show through the entire Gryffindor second year group. Sirius and Morgana had been the glue holding the two groups together, linking the other six's friendships. But as Sirius and Morgana began to weaken, so did everything else.

Morgana glanced down the Gryffindor table about ten feet or so to where "the Marauders" were seated. It was the last week of term, a week of bliss, supposedly. She studied Sirius or a moment as a potions master would study a cauldron of some concoction that had gone awry._ What would have happened if...? Would it have been better or worse if I had...? _Sirius had said that he didn't blame Morgana for how his mother had acted towards him the previous summer, but what if he lied? What if a part of him hated Morgana for befriending him?

'That's silly! Sirius wouldn't think that!'

'Why not?'

'Because it's not like him...'

'How would you know?' And then it hit her.

"I don't..." she whispered, barely audible. Screeches pulled her out of her train of thought. She looked up- post owls, one was flying straight towards her. She untied the letter off of a large tawny's leg and unrolled the parchment. It read in black, wispy letters, not unlike Morgana's own writing:

_Morga,_

_Your mum and dad have some really urgent buisness to attend to (notice, I'm never told anything! Figures!) Anyway, I'll be picking you up at King's Cross this time. I don't know when your parents are going to be home, so be prepared, you might be here a while. See you Saturday!_

_Your favorite (and only) aunt,_

_Tarla_

_P.S. Isn't that a wretched name? Tarla I ask you! Honestly!_

Morgana laughed. Aunt Tarla was one of her favorite people in the world and the only one who called Morgana, "Morga". She was three years younger than her brother, Meredith's father and shared so many similarities with her neice.

"Lils, you'll have to come over this summer! You have to meet my aunt, she's- Lily, what's up?" Her best friend was looking horror struck at a letter she had just received. She shook her head and passed the parchment to Morgana who mumbled the words as she read:

_Don't even bother getting on that wretched train to come home! Mum and Dad don't care about you! They don't want freaks for children, and that's what you are- a freak! Don't come home! I don't even want to look at you! You make me SICK!_

_Petunia Evans_

Morgana reread the letter several times, her mouth opened slightly. She had seen pictures of Lily with Petunia, her older sister- they had always seemed so happy.

"Pet's a very no-nonsense person... I guess, magic would fall under... nonsense..."

"But why would she do something like this after a year. I mean- Lily? Lily!" Lily ran towards the steps to the upper levels of the castle. Morgana stumbled over her seat and chased after her. After five floors, Morgana caught up with Lily who was sobbing on an abandoned stairwell. Morgana patted her on the back after sitting down next to her and told her it'd be all right.

"Why w-w-would she s-s-say that? I'm... her... sister!"

"Family members say some stupid things sometimes, I guess. Things get blown out of proportion. If someone gets mad, something small can turn into something big if it has time to fester. Something simple like a hug, or a kiss on the cheek from a friend, something so innocent, can go horribly wrong and backfire. Next thing you know, people aren't speaking, friends fall apart, people aren't the same. Nothing's the same." Lily gave a large sniff, her green eyes were now a light shade of pink. "Things'll get back to normal. It's just a matter of... time... and words... and maybe an action or two. But it'll be alright. Okay?"

"I guess... but I just don't know why it happened!" Morgana looked off into the distance.

"Neither do I."

The next six days went by incredibly fast. Morgana passed her exams with flying colors as did Lily. Everyone else seemed to do very well, too. They discussed their results as the Hogwarts Express halted in King's Cross Station.

"Well, I knew I wasn't exceptional at potions but I figured I'd get better than a simple 'pass' from ol' Sluggy!" Chris said, unhappy.

"I heard that Hopkins fellow has to retake second year potions," Lily said, pulling down her trunk.

"Well, I guess I don't feel too bad then," Chris replied, looking a but more satisfied. "The whole year, huh?" Morgana grabbed her trunk quickly from the luggage rack.

"Hey, I have to get something straightened out before I go. I'll see you guys either this summer or September first, alright?"

"Sure, bye."

"Bye, Morgana. Pleasant summer!" Ally said quietly.

"Say 'hi' to your Aunt Tarla for me, will you? Tell her I'd love to come over, but can't," Lily said, hugging her. "Have a great summer!"

"You, too. Bye, all!" Morgana pushed herself through the crowd that was already forming in the aisle and walked against them towards the back of the train. Finally, after several minutes of fighting the crowd, Morgana found a space in the aisle that was people-free. She went to the back compartment and found Sirius, alone, re-closing his trunk on the seat. She slid open the compartment door. He stood up and looked out the window for a moment, unaware of Morgana.

"Sirius?" Sirius started and whipped around as his name was said.

"Oh, it's you." Morgana twisted the toe of her left shoe into the floor.

"Have a good summer!" she said, falsely cheery.

"And you," Morgana looked up from the floor to him. His eyes had a haunting, pleading look to them. He did not want to go back home. A fake smile flittered across her face and she turned to leave. Once several steps out of the compartment, she dropped her trunk and walked back to Sirius.

"I'm so sorry, mate," said Morgana. He looked stunned for a moment, then relaxed.

"I know."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, incredibly short and time-filer chapter I wrote there. Skipped basically an entire year, I know, I'm so terrible. I'll get on another one right away, loves.

Siriusly,

Dot


	7. Happy Holidays

**A/N:** Hi. long, (awkward pause) S'up? (pause continues) Okay then...

**_Chapter 7- Happy Holidays_**

* * *

It was the first day of term for Hogwarts students once again. A young third year girl with elbow length, brown hair and pretty, blue eyes dragged her trunk along the platform. She had not seen her parents all summer. They had told the girl's aunt that she was going to stay with her for the summer, but she still wanted to see her parents. They had sent her one letter over the break, which read: 

_Morgana,_

_Sorry we haven't been around. We'll try to see you off to school, but it's not for certain. We miss you and will definitely be home for the holidays, if you want to come._

_We love you, dear,_

_Mum & Dad_

The girl had been in a slightly disgruntled mood since. That was the only known correspondence anyone had had with her parents. Morgana walked with her Aunt Tarla to the train.

"Now, if your parents write, I'll send you a copy of the letter or something. I want you to have a fun term, okay? And if anyone gives you any trouble... well, you know what to do," Tarla crouched a bit to be eye-to-eye with her niece. "Study hard, have fun, be careful," she gave Morgana a quick hug. "Now get on that train!"

"I will, bye!" Morgana said absentmindedly and headed up to the train, disappearing into the crowd. She pushed her way through the chaos to the Hogwarts Express. She glanced up at the large, red steam-engine and hurried onto it.

"M-Morgana!" someone squeaked from behind her. She turned around to see Peter Pettigrew standing in the corridor behind her. "Did you see any of the others?"

"James, Remus, Sirius? None of them, sorry. Did you see Lily?"

"Oh, right. She went that way," he said, seeming somewhat disappointed and gesturing behind him.

"Thanks, Peter. See you later." She hurried off to the back of the train, hoping the boy wouldn't follow her, something about him was just very odd.

"Okay, I-" but at that moment, the whistle blew and Morgana didn't get to hear what the boy had to say. She glanced into each compartment, hopeful to see her friend. Finally, with six more compartments to go, she found Lily.

"Hey!" said Lily, beaming. "I see neither of us grew very much over the summer!"

"Nah, I just saw Pettigrew and he was only a few inches shorter than me. So, how was break?"

"Oh, it was all right. Petunia wasn't very... chipper, this summer, but other than that, it was really good. You?"

"My parents didn't come home at all. They sent me one letter: 'Sorry we haven't been around. We'll try to see you off to school, but it's not for certain. We miss you and will definitely be home for the holidays, if you want to come. We love you...'" Morgana recited. "Aunt Tarla was fun though. I just wish I knew what my parents were doing and when I would see them again..." she finished miserably.

"Sorry I didn't write, Petunia was freaking out when she saw my owl, I figured I'd best just leave well enough alone."

"I figured something like that would happen, so I waited. It's all right, though. My aunt kept me pretty busy and I kept myself busy." The train's final warning whistle blew and Morgana lifted her trunk to the luggage rack and sat down between Lily and the window. "So, did you-"

"HA! I finally found you guys!" Lily whipped around to see who was there and Morgana leaned to the side to see who was there.

"Chris! Summer all right?" Morgana said, cheerful.

"Livable. My grandma died and my mum was really upset, kinda brought the entire summer down, but it wasn't too bad. Other than that... boring!" She walked into the compartment and put her luggage up.

"I'm sorry, Chris."

"Well, I didn't really know her well. She was really rich and my mum was her only kid, so we inherited a decent bit of money. It'll be a good Christmas for you lot!" Chris laughed. Lily and Morgana exchanged jokingly greedy looks. "Mum got me a nice owl too," she added, very gently shaking the cage in her left hand. Chris sat down on something and let out a high pitched scream, Morgana and Lily jumped and pulled out their wands.

"Ally! We didn't see you come in!" Lily said, relaxing.

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt..." Chris looked deathly pale and Lily's mouth was hanging open. Morgana looked between the three of them and began to laugh, which caught on immediately.

"All right, James?" Sirius said loudly, greeting his friend as James entered the compartment.

"Never better. You three?" Remus, Peter, and Sirius all uttered some form of the word "good".

"Regulus starts this year," Sirius said darkly.

"You're annoying little brother?" James asked.

"That'd be the one. Mum's just_ ecstatic_. I figure we'd best give him a _proper_ welcome, if you know what I mean." He glanced over at Remus who was looking very pale. "You feeling all right, mate?"

"Lack of sleep, I was up most of the night last night," he said quickly, stifling a yawn. James raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Sirius caught his eye and said:

"Oh, right. I didn't sleep well either." An awkward silence followed this comment for a minute or so.

"I forgot! I went to Hogsmeade! And guess what I got?" James exclaimed suddenly.

"You went to Zonko's didn't you?" Sirius said, grinning. James smiled broadly. "You went to Zonko's and didn't write me! You cheeky, cheeky little blighter!" James and Sirius began to roar with laughter. "Well, come on now! Whatcha get?" James grabbed a brown cloth bag about a third of the size of an average sleeping bag from the luggage rack and tossed its contents onto the seat. Sirius rushed over and kneeled down beside them. "That's got to be thirty-five dungbombs, at least! 'Puking Pumpkin Pie'- that'll come in handy- Wartcap Powder (nice one, James!), 'Irritable Ink- Just one drop and you'll swear by it!', 'Forgetful Frogs' (how can you tell them apart from real Chocolate Frogs, though?), and- what?! You bought a book?!" he said, looking disgusted at the last item.

"That's got loads of spells in it- prank ones, too. I saw Frank Longbottom with it last year, he let me borrow it and now I've got my own. Look at this-" he stood up and took out his wand, pointing it at Sirius "-Levicorpus!" Sirius shouted as he dangled in the air, upside down. Remus, Peter, and James roared with laughter as he protested. "Put me down you git! What the hell are you doing?!" After a few minutes, James stopped laughing and began to flip through the pages of the book.

"Er... I don't quite know how to get you down, mate..."

"What do you mean, don't quite know how to get me down?! You wither do or don't! It's in the book, isn't it?"

"It says 'Levicorpus counterjinx- see Counterjinxes, Page 136' and then under counterjinxes it says 'Levicorpus counterjinx- see Levicorpus, under Jinx, page 41'... I don't know, mate." Sirius crossed his arms upside down, indignant.

"Give it here," Remus said, holding out his hand. James handed over the book and he began to rifle through it for several minutes.

"You're really angry, aren't you?" James said, somewhat nervous. "You're really red in the face."

"That's all the blood rushing into my head," he replied, arms still crossed. "Turn me will you?" James turned Sirius so that he faced the compartment door. "Thanks, it was bloody boring looking at your knee. You have a hole wearing in the knee of your jeans, by the way." They waited still several more minutes.

"There's nothing in here for a counterjinx for it. What-" Remus began throwing the book to James, but he was cut off.

"Morgana! Hey, Morgana!" Sirius yelled, still dangling and waving his arms which grazed across the floor, his face now the color of a chili pepper. Morgana was walking through the aisle, past their compartment.

"Wha- Oh! Merlin, what happened?" she said, rushing in. He looked exactly like one of her mum's garden plants- an upside down tomato. "Liberacorpus!" she said, brandishing her own wand. Immediately, Sirius fell to the floor.

"How'd you know that?" Sirius said, rubbing a bump on his head.

"A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw were battling it out last year and I saw them do the same thing," said Morgana, helping him up. "What happened?" she repeated.

"I was just trying out a spell in this book I bought, we didn't know what it did," James said, shrugging.

"'Just trying out a spell', eh?" she said, rounding on James. He looked far more nervous now than when he had asked Sirius if he was angry. "What does it say that the spell does in this wonderful book you bought? Well?" James fumbled as he picked the book back up

"It's- it's in a chapter called 'Body Bogus'. It doesn't say what it does."

"Well, how very clever! Use a spell that you don't know what the effect is! Very smart, James. And you-" she said, rounding on Sirius who was laughing hysterically while James was being told off by a girl four inches shorter than he was. "You think it's funny, do you? You wouldn't be laughing if that spell did something else that landed you in the Hospital Wing on your first day back, would you?" Now Sirius was being scolded by a girl about a month and a half younger than him and six inches shorter.

"We were just having a bit of fun, Morgana. That's all," he said quickly, the laughter dying from his face.

"And you two, why did you let this go on? Hm? Hm!" Remus shook his head and Peter sank even farther into his seat. "You see this?" she pulled up the sleeve of her left arm to reveal a thick, nasty looking, half-healed cut along her forearm. "I went to a Quidditch match this summer with my aunt's friend and her family. The seventeen year old son was trying out spells with his brother before the match and one hit me by accident. He didn't know what it did. I had to spend the night in St. Mungo's while they healed my arm. They don't think it'll leave a scar." She glared at the four of them. "His brother has a health condition, it takes him much longer to heal than a normal wizard. The way the blood was coming out of my arm- well, he would've died before it was patched up if the spell had hit him."

"Well, I don't have a health condition dealing with being upside-" Sirius began.

"The point is, you need to know what these spells do before you go using them on people. I- oh, what's the use. It's like talking to a brick wall." She turned to leave and was halfway out the compartment threshold when James muttered:

"Merlin, she goes insane if someone so much as raises a wand against her boyfriend." She whipped around and pointed her wand at James.

"Excuse me?" she said, deadly.

"I said.. I hope you had a nice summer... other than the hospital... thingy!" he lied quickly. Morgana looked at him, knowing he was lying but not really caring what he thought. She lowered her wand and stalked out. Morgana had always been very motherly and kind, but now she was short-tempered and almost mean. She had lied to Lily, her summer really wasn't very good. She had been so mad at her parents for not even caring to write more than once that it had ruined her summer. Than no one from Hogwarts had written to her and when she finally got to do something she was looking forward to, seeing a Quidditch match, she had to spend the time in St. Mungo's instead. Not to mention, she usually felt better after being around her mother and she hadn't seen her mother since September 1st of last year. She could have gone home for Christmas last year, but instead had spent the holidays with Sirius, because she felt bad enough about causing his summer to be a complete nightmare and, because then he would've been alone once again. She suddenly wished she had gone home for Christmas after all.

**OoO**

"Oi, Morgana! Can I have a word?" Sirius called after potions a few weeks into term. It was the last class of the day and there was no homework due for a week. They certainly had time to kill.

"What is it?" she said glumly, leading Sirius into an empty classroom.

"You. Something's wrong. You've had a row with Lily (at least that was patched up fairly quickly), you've been speaking less and less to everyone, you've missed questions in class, and... well.. no one wants to say it but... you've gotten... er..."

"A temper?"

"Yeah, one of those."

"I thought I was being fairly patient. No one's said anything."

"Yeah, well, that's just because everyone else has been to afraid to tell you otherwise," he said, bluntly.

"I just... oh, never mind-"

"What?"

"Just... a bunch of things..." she looked up at him and forced a smile. "It's not your problem. I'll calm down a bit, I guess. Don't worry about me," she added as he opened his mouth.

"But-"

"Wow, look at the time! I'd best finish Sluggy's essay! Night!" she said, hurriedly glancing at her watch and moving out into the corridor.

"But, you finished it ages ago!" She continued to walk down the corridor at a quick pace. "It's not due until Wednesday!" She turned and rushed up the stairs. "Figures!" Sirius sighed and followed her, but at a much slower pace.

**OoO**

Sirius' talk with Morgana had seemed to affected her somewhat, instead of yelling at people or even talking to them, she put all her energy into her schoolwork, surrounding herself every night with great stacks of books from the library which she hauled down with her from the dormitory to the Common Room everynight. After a month and a half, she read the last word of the last chapter of the last page of the last book of the last stack. Sirius watched her: she finished the page and flipped through the several blank pages at the end of the book, furrowing her brow as if she didn't know books had endings. She flipped the back cover back and forth between her hands for a minute, staring into the fire when a first year carrying a small stack of books to return to the library walked behind her.

"Hey, would you take this for me, too?" The first year nodded and took the book from Morgana's outstretched hand. "Thanks! Saves me a trip!" she said, cheerful. She stretched and yawned as the boy stepped out of the Common Room, and for the first time since term began, she turned to Sirius and gave him a genuine smile. "Well, that's done." Then she headed up to bed. Sirius looked at James who was sitting to his left, both of their mouths were slightly open. Sirius pointed his index finger toward where she had disappeared to.

"You know, I think I know that girl!" James just nodded.

"Wonder what's happened. Or did happen, depending on how you look at it. Do you think it'll stay like this?"

"I don't know. But apart from answering in class, I think that's the longest string of words she's said in... a while."

"Too right."

The next day, Morgana was seen laughing with Lily, Ally, and Chris who were bearing very mild looks of surprise. She seemed to be back to her old self again. They sat down in their usual spots, over and across from the Marauders. Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius who filled him in while watching Morgana, unwaveringly. When they had gone on their first trip to Hogsmeade in October, she had seemed very down. Now, in November, she was ecstatic and cheerful and very happy.

"She wasn't even like that for her birthday!" Remus said, surveying her with great interest.

"Tell me about it! I spent some decent galleons on that book and she only _faked_ a smile when I gave it to her!" Sirius said, slightly annoyed.

"She looked like she was about to cry when Lily gave her that card with the certificate..." James said, low.

"Maybe she just wanted better presents!" Peter piped up, they all looked at him for a moment and then turned back to watch the girls.

"I don't think it was the presents, mate," Sirius said. "Something's wrong there."

"Why can't she just come out and say it, though? I mean, wouldn't that be easier rather than having everyone worry about her?" James said, returning to his breakfast, the others followed suit.

"She's a girl, she's supposed to be strong and stuff," Remus reminded them. "Besides, she seems to have taken care of it."

"Women!" Sirius exclaimed stabbing at a kipper. They all muttered in agreement.

**OoO**

Sirius was trudging through the snow away from the castle. James had thrown his wand out the dormitory window and everyone had refused to summon it for him so, he bundled up and marched through the snow, his teeth chattering from the cold. The snow was almost to his knees and was stuffed into his trainers. Finally, he made his way to his wand and bent over to pick it up when something very cold collided with his head. He picked up his wand and yelled, "Protego!" as he saw another white ball of snow flying towards him. It hit the shield charm and splattered.

"Oi!" the thrower yelled, waving their arms and doing an awkward high-stepped kind of run towards him. A few moments later, Morgana was standing at his side, her cheeks a rosy pink and wearing the hat Sirius had given er for Christmas in their first year. "What brings you out here?"

"James. What about you? He throw your wand out of the dormotory window as well?"

"Well, that's smart," she said sarcastically as they went back to the castle. "But no. I was taking a walk."

"In this?! Are you mad, woman?! Do you have a death wish?"

"Well, you have to understand, when I started, the snow was just starting as well." Sirius looked up. The fluffy white stuff was indeed falling thick and fast.

"Merlin, it's cold out! At least we don't have Astronomy until break is over! That'd be murder," he said.

"Break'll be so good! No classes or anything."

"Which reminds me- you leaving tomorrow to go to your parents'?" She beamed.

"Yeah, it'll be great! I've been dying to see them." Sirius muttered something along the lines of "That's good..." as they hurried up to the castle, spending the last few minutes in total silence. Finally, they reached the door and pulled it open with combined effort against the snow. They walked through the Great Hall, attempting to thaw out.

"So, how's Arithmancy going?" Sirius said after a few minutes.

"Oh, not bad. It's not my favorite class, but it's not the worst. It can be kind of fun sometimes. Very interesting charts. Did you know-" but just as she was about to tell Sirius something he would have forgotten about the next day, the boy who had taken Morgana's library book back for her in November came running up to her. "Can I help you?"

"Professor Dumb-Dumbledore told me... to give this.. to you!" he said, panting and holding out a folded piece of parchment.

"Thanks..." she said absentmindedly opening the parchment and reading it.

_Miss le Fay,_

_If you would kindly report to my office when you get this, I would be most delighted. Mr. Black may come as well, if you wish._

_P.S. Do you enjoy Peppermint Humbugs?_

Sirius finished reading the note. "What's he want with you... And what do humbugs have to do with anything?"

"No clue. Do you want to come?"

"If you don't mind." She gently pushed him forward, rereading the letter.

"Strange bloke... Brilliant wizard, though," she said, folding the note and putting it in her pocket. Finally, they made it to the Headmaster's office which was up a large spiral staircase. Morgana came to the gargoyle blocking the staircase and looked at it uncertainly. "Er... Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak with us... Er..."

"So?" it said, immediately coming to life and then turning back to stone.

"Could we get through?" Nothing happened.

"I think we need a password," Sirius muttered.

"Oh, right... umm... Hogwarts!" Nothing happened. "That's be too obvious, I suppose... what about... er... A little help would be appreciated, Sirius!"

"How about 'let me in'? No? All right then... Well, the magic word's always been 'please'... No... how about 'Password'!" The gargoyle still wouldn't budge. "Did he say anything in the note?"

"All it said was come to his office, you could come too and then- That's it! Why didn't I..." she stepped forward and said exasperated by herself, "Peppermint Humbugs!"

"That's the one!" the gargoyle said, springing to life and letting them pass. As soon as both of Sirius' feet were on the staircase, it began to rotate and spiral upward until they reached a large, heavy door. Morgana knocked.

"Come in," a voice said on the other side. The door clicked open and the two teens stepped inside to Dumbledore's office. "Ah, Miss le Fay, I see you brought Mr. Black, good... good." The third years stood there, smiling awkwardly at the Headmaster who smiled back serenly. Morgana's smile began to falter. "Well, please, sit down." The two obeyed and took chairs across from the older wizard. He surveyed them over his half-moon spectacles with his blue eyes, his white beard shining in the torch-light. "Well, onto business, shall we? Miss le fay, I have the unpleasant task of informing you that you will not be able to spend Christmas with your parents as planned." Morgana looked as though Dumbledore had slapped her with all his might in the face.

"But they said they'd be back! How- why-" she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but they still are doing the matter they were sent to do. It was not expected to take this long."

"You're telling me! They were supposed to be back months ago!" she exclaimed, exasperated and suddenly realizing that she was on her feet, but not knowing how she got there.

"I assure you, they-"

"No one's told me anything! Nothing! I got a letter from my aunt saying they had some 'urgent business' and I'd be spending part the summer with her. Then, they tell me they're coming home before September 1st, which they don't. Next thing I know, it's Christmas and they're gone again! What's going on?!"

"Miss le Fay, please sit down." It was a request not an order. She bit her lip for a moment and then sat down. trying to look as polite as she could. "It is my fault your parents are away. They are on a sort of mission for me, you see." Morgana gave him a questioning look and he continued. "Have you heard of a Lord Voldemort or a Tom Riddle?" At this point, several portraits began to protest.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore! She's only a third year!"

"Don't tell her! Don't put that on her!"

"They won't understand, Albus!"

"Shhhh!"

"Quiet!" he said sternly to the former headmasters and mistresses. "Have you?" Morgana racked her brain.

"Wasn't he trying to teach here before or something? He applied for a job?"

"Indeed. That was several years ago. One year before the two of you came here. We have reason to believe he's trying to gain power..."

"Like become Minister of Magic or something?" Sirius said, uncertain.

"No. He has- ah... larger plans than Minister. But we'll save those for another time." He turned back from Sirius to Morgana. "Your parents are trying to track him down and find out where he's staying, but as he gains more followers, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find him." Morgana nodded slowly, staring at the wooden desk and absorbing this new information.

"Is he much of a threat?"

"Very much so, yes." She continued to nod for another moment and then looked up at the wizard.

"Well, then I don't care if it takes them fifty Christmases, they need to find him. I'm sorry for... shouting." Dumbedore smiled at her.

"That's quite all right. However, it should only take them this one, then they plan to come home." Morgana looked at him and had the feeling that they were dismissed. She and Sirius headed towards the door. Sirius opened it and stepped out. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Morgana turned back to the office. "Your aunt informs me that if you wish to, you may spend the holidays with her."

"That's all right, sir. Tell her thanks, though."

"Very well."

* * *

**A/N:** Considerably longer than the last one. This is my last chapter until Deathly Hallows comes out which is in... several hours?!?! Holy Count Crapula! I can't believe the series is ending already! I grew up on Harry and the gang. sighs Bittersweet, really. Well, enjoy my fics and the book, gents! 

Cheers,

Dot


	8. Changes

**A/N:** I'm writing this the night DH comes out, I'll publish it later. I'll have you know, that you will receive no spoilers from me for a while. Unless I state otherwise.

**Disclaimer:** (sings) If I was a rich girl!!! Yadda da dadda da da da!!! I'd own Harry Potter Yadda da dadda da da da!!! (stops singing, pouts) But I am-aya poor.

**Warning:** Mild language ahead. Very mild.

**_Chapter 8- Changes_**

* * *

"Would you bloody- AAAARRRRGGGHH!" a girl shrieked. 

"Bad luck, there, love! I suppose now you'll have to- Merlin! N-" a boy shouted. The girl walked up to him, he had fallen back into the snow and was covered in a large mound of snowballs she had conjured and pelted at him with magic. She looked down at him, admiring her work.

"I win," she said simply, digging in the snow to find the boy's hand to help him up. "Come on, now, up you get!" With combined efforts, her and the boy unburied him.

"You cheated!" he said, brushing snow off his coat.

"I did not! The rules clearly stated that there were no rules!" she said indignantly.

"Well- I- uh- the rules lied!" She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Sirius. Let's get in. I'm getting cold." The pair began to make their way to Hogwarts castle. For the third year in a row, all of their friends were at their homes, enjoying Christmas with their families while the pair stayed at Hogwarts. As always, the girls stayed to keep Sirius company.

"Morgana?"

"Hm?"

"Whatcha get me for Christmas?"

"You'll have to wait and see."

"Come on."

"No."

"Just a hint."

"No."

"Please?"

"Shut it."

"I don't want to."

"Too bad." They continued up towards the castle in silence for a few minutes.

"Would you tell me if I-"

"No." There was a long pause.

"All right then, let's talk about something else," Sirius suggested.

"Yes, let's! What do you want to talk about?"

"Whatcha get me for Christmas?"

"A kick in the arse!" She lunged at Sirius and he bolted towards the doors. He was almost there... just a bit more.. HA! He pulled the huge door open and raced inside, Morgana not too far behind. He turned to look back at her as he ran and slid from the slush on his boots. He faced forward just in time to see McGonagall with a look of horror on her face as he slid closer at an alarmingly fast rate. His eyes widened in terror and she jumped out of the way.

"Oh crap!" He was racing right towards the stairs. In a split second, he managed to push off from the ground and sit down on the banister. Next thing he knew, he was sliding down the banister all the way to the dungeon. Morgana ran up to where McGongall was watching as they saw Sirius fly down the banister. Morgana had had enough sense to walk in the castle knowing that There were many reasons for doing so, the most obvious, to her at least, was getting caught. Sirius hadn't thought of it. Suddenly, his laughing triumph was replaced with a shout of terror as the end of the banister grew near, along with the dungeon door. Miraculously the door opened just as Sirius flew through the air. Sluggy quickly jumped to the side of the door he was opening and Sirius pelted through it and landed on the floor with a hard thud.

"Sirius!" Morgana exclaimed, running into the dungeon, McGonagall hot on her heels. Sluggy was crouched down next to him.

"Sumun say ma name?" he said, leaning up on his elbows, looking slightly confused.

"What, pray tell, were you thinking, Black?!" McGonagall exclaimed, furious. He giggled weakly. Morgana raised and eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face and shook her head as he flopped back down.

"I'd say the boy's out cold!" Sluggy exclaimed.

Morgana thought, "No, sh-"

"Indeed!"

Two hours later, Morgana was sitting in a chair beside a bed in the Hospital Wing after she had been interrogated by McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, individually, and then by the two of them together. She was on the last chapter of a book her aunt had given her before term began when Sirius began to stir in the bed she sat next to. He opened his eyes as she closed her book, her finger marking the page.

"How long were you really out?" she said, a serious expression on her face.

"Well, I was kinda in and out of it actually," he answered with in as much of a matter-of-fact voice as he could muster.

"McGonagall said she was going to be back in an hour or so."

"When was that?"

"Forty-five minutes ago, and she's always early. Ten minutes at least." He groaned.

"Doesn't she have anything better to do? Like grade my crappy Transfiguration papers? We've done worse than this, before it wasn't a big deal."

"Correction: You've done worse than this. I just happened to get sucked into it. You're a right out git, you know that?" He grinned.

"Yeah, I know. I-"

"Ah! Black! You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey said, walking briskly into the room. Sirius made to look like he hadn't woke up but Morgana was too quick for him.

"Yes, he just woke up."

"Hm? Oh, yeah," he grumbled, throwing his friend an annoyed look.

"Can you sit up?" Madam Pomfrey said, bustling around, picking up several potions and setting more back down.

"Yeah," he said, pushing himself up and elbowing his pillow several times, trying to prop it up. Morgana flicked her wand and it pushed itself against the bars on the bed as McGonagall walked in.

The next day Sirius was to be released from the Hospital Wing, Professor McGonagall insisted this for the good of the entire school.

_"Poppy, please, let the boy stay over night so you can check for any sign of brain damage! He may have a very severe case!" Professor McGonagall said, looking extremely exasperated._

_"Honestly though, Professor, that's just him naturally!" Morgana said, looking at her friend who was grinning sheepishly._

_"Listen to her, Black. She's got sense! None of which you have." McGonagall said, glancing between the two and then walked out of the Hospital Wing._

_"Thanks, Morgana!" Sirius said sarcastically._

_"Well it's true! We got into the building, why did you keep running?!"_

_"I- er... Well... You were chasing me!" She rolled her eyes._

_"Idiot! Do you honestly think I would have done anything? Especially inside the castle!"_

_"Well, I- you-"_

_"Ugh! I'm going to the Common Room!" she said, turning on her heel and walking out._

_"Morgana! Hey Morgana! Oi!" But she shut the door behind her. "Morgan-"_

_  
"Mr. Black! Please be quiet!" Madam Pomfrey barked from her office._

Now he headed back to the Common Room. It was December 23rd and outside it was still snowing heavily. As in previous years, there were very few people in the school. Now, however, there were two or three more people in Gryffindor Tower other than Sirius and Morgana. In fact, one was arguing with the portrait of the Fat Lady as he walked up. It was the same boy who had given Morgana the note from Dumbledore.

"But it was 'tinsel' just this morning! I got in an hour ago!"

"Well, the password's changed! I told it to a girl about forty-five minutes ago. She walked in and said she would tell the other Gryffindors who were in the Tower."

"I just grabbed a book and got back out! Come on!"

"You need the proper password!"

"We can't get in?" Sirius said, walking up to the portrait.

"No. You might be an imposter! Children these days have no regard for security these days! Really!"

"But I'm me! Sirius Black! Come on! You know me!"

"Oh, I'm sure no one in their right mind would impersonate you, Black. But all the same, I can't let you in!"

"Oh, bloody hell!" So, he and the first year sat down against the wall next to the portrait. "So... What's your name?"

"Connor, Connor Creevey. You're Sirius Black! You're friends with James Potter and Remus Lupin and... and... that one boy..."

"Peter?"

"Yeah. You're the Marauders! Can I be a Marauder, too?"

"Well, first off, Peter's my friend, Marauders don't forget about fellow Marauders, so that would be a no," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"Oh... okay," he looked disappointed and then brightened. "You know Lily Evans and Alisson Etherson and Christine Handers and Morgana le Fay. Morgana's really nice! She helped me with homework before the holidays started! A potions essay!" The kid looked overly excited, like Peter would if James or Sirius would ever make the Quidditch Team.

"Don't wet yourself, she helps everyone. It's kind of her nature."

"She's really nice," There was a long, awkward pause where the boy wouldn't stop continuously twitching his feet and legs, humming some tune. He didn't seem to be put out at all that he couldn't get into the Common Room. At least he didn't mind now that he was with one of the Marauders.

Even though the boy was incredibly annoying though, he was right about some things. Morgana was really nice, almost too nice to some people. She helped first years like Connor with homework, was willing to help teachers, hadn't been in detention once, always returned her library books after fixing pages that she found ripped or stained, but she wasn't overcome by kindness to the point where it was sickening. She knew how to have fun and laugh, she had even given the Marauders some of their best prank ideas.

"Do you fancy her?" Connor said abruptly.

"Wha- Whaddaya mean? Who'd you mean?"

"Morgana le Fay. Do you wanna date her or something?"

"No."

"Well, you're always talking to her, sitting next to her, eating with her. I just thought-"

"Are you stalking me or something?!" Sirius said, bewildered. "We're friends. Friends talk and sit and eat. Honestly! Kids these days!" There was another bout of silence where Sirius would cough if the boy opened his mouth to say something. Finally, after fifteen more minutes, the portrait swung open revealing Morgana wearing a pair of jeans and Beatles t-shirt.

"Hey! You couldn't get in?" she asked as Sirius got up, significantly slower than Connor had. The first year had gone from sitting slumped on the wall to standing straight and tall in less than a second. If he had put his hand to his head, he could have passed for an soldier in the Navy.

"Nah, password's changed," Sirius said, standing up.

"It's baubles, for the record. I was wondering where you were. I figured you'd be out fairly early."

"Well, I was but-"

"Thanks for the help with the essay, Morgana! I got an E on it!" Morgana smiled at him.

"That's great, Connor! Glad to help!" The boy just stood there, beaming up at her. "Er, you're welcome!" He still stood there. "Merry Christmas." He didn't move. "Happy Holidays." Stationary. "Have a nice New Year." But the boy still smiled widely up at her. "Oh! Sirius! Weren't you going to... um... show me that... you know... thingy?" Sirius just stared at her, the boy finally looked away from Morgana and turned to Sirius.

"What?"

"Let's- go- upstairs- now!" she mouthed.

"Oh! The thing with the... yeah! Here, follow me!" They headed back into the Common Room.

"I'll see y-" but the portrait swung shut as Connor waved frantically, finally out of his daze.

"That boy won't stop following me around! I almost feel bad for him!" Morgana said, crossing her arms and looking over her shoulder as they made their way up to the boy's dormitories.

"He's obsessed with you, Morgana!"

"He's obsessed with the Marauders, too. Hero-worship."

"It's kind of creepy."

"Well you have a whole fan club of girls, an eleven-year-old boy shouldn't be too scary. There's an entire mob after you." Sirius furrowed his brow as they entered the room. "You haven't heard! Merlin! Are you serious!" He opened his mouth to say something. "Oh, you know what I mean! S-E-R-I-O-U-S. Actually, you've got about... I'd say twenty girls: first, second, third, and fourth year. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws."

"No Slytherins, that's surprising," he said sarcastically.

"Do you want Slytherins?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Merlin, no! I'm just making an observation," he flopped down on his bed while Morgana sat down gently on Remus's. He began picking at his pillow. "You aren't in this... club, are you?" She laughed.

"I'm not pathetic!" A look flashed across his face. Disappointment, maybe.

"Hey, what was up with you for a while there?" he asked, abruptly switching the topic.

"What do you mean?"

"You were really angry, then really studious, then normal. Went on for about... three months or so, I think." She got up and walked out of the room, Sirius followed. "Wait, Morgana! I didn't mean anything! I just-" but she went to her bag which was lying on the table in the Common Room and pulled out two things: a photograph, and a piece of parchment. She handed them to Sirius, as he sat down on the couch in front of the fire and looked at the photo. Morgana sat next to him.

"That's me and my parents, summer before last. I haven't seen them since. Read the letter." He stared at the photo for one more second. Morgana stood in between her parents, mum her right, dad on her left. All three of them beamed as Sirius and waved. He read the letter. "They sent me that this summer. They were supposed to be home for Christmas, but aren't, as you found out in Dumbledore's office." Sirius looked up at her. She just stared at the photo Sirius was holding in his hands.

"But-"

"I was trying to find out if there was a job an Auror had to do that would cause them to go away for several months. Of course, there are hundreds, but none that my mother would need to go on. Remember, I told you she was a secretary for someone at the Ministry." He nodded, recalling when they had first met on the train to Hogwarts. "I was so mad at them for not coming home and I was mad at myself for not finding out why they were gone and I... changed, I guess. I read every book I could find on Aurors, nothing." She looked up at him and smiled. "Then I found out, it was for Dumbledore and that it wouldn't be in a job description, would it?"

"No, I suppose not," he paused and looked into the fire. "Morgana... I want you to-"

"Sirius! It's time for lunch already! You didn't eat today did you?" She pressed on, not waiting for a reply. "Neither did I. Why don't we go down and grab a bite, okay?"

"'Kay," he said, uncertain if he should press the subject, but he dropped it after another minute of thought. He'd do it later.

It was about 8:30 at night. Sirius and Morgana had the Common Room to themselves. Morgana was sitting in an armchair, reading the book Sirius had given her for her birthday, occasionally saying things like "Wow! Sirius this is really great!" or "You should really read this!" and even the rare "Merlin! Did you know...". Sirius, meanwhile, was immersed in cleaning out his bag, which seemed to be carpeted with bits of old, squished parchment, broken quills, ripped notes he and others had passed in class, and bits of other broken objects. Sirius sighed after he had removed most of the debris from the bottom of his bag and looked over at his friend- she was extremely lovely. Her fair skin complimented her brown hair (which he had noticed shone dark red in sunlight) perfectly, her blue eyes were always conveying some emotion and brought new meaning to the phrase "the eyes are the window to the soul," he noticed she was very petite, thin, but not unhealthy, and not very tall. Her legs were curled around her as she sat, leaning on the chair arm, the fire light flickering and reflecting in her eyes as they skittered quickly across the page of the book, drinking in every word. She carefully turned the pages of the book, running her finger from the top corner, peeling it upward, and gently drawing her finger down and under it, flipping gently it as if it were an extremely thin piece of glass, and giving a small, satisfied smile when she heard the dried ink of one page pressed to another being separated by the slightest crackle. As he watched her, he absentmindedly vanished tiny pieces of broken objects, he reached down to feel how much was left but couldn't reach the bottom.

"Bugger! I vanished the bottom of my bag!" he groaned. "Reparo. Reparo. Reparo!" Morgana tore her eyes away from her book.

"Let me see," she said, getting up and reaching for the bag, Sirius handed it over. Sirius's books covered the remainder of the couch so she sat down, cross-legged on the floor. Sirius slid down as well, so that he was sitting next to her. "Arculus Reparo!" Nothing happened. She began muttering spells under her breath, the occasional swear word woven in and out. She ended up magicking a piece of cloth to appear and then stitching it on with a charm. She handed it over. "There. Good as new."

"You're really good at that."

"It's fairly simple. I just duplicated one of the flaps and matched it up, then I stitched it together. I just figured I'd try some other spells first. I-"

"You talk a lot." She looked at him, bewildered.

"What?"

"No. It's not a bad thing. You like to explain things, don't you?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"You're really smart, too." She blushed profusely and looked at the fire determinedly.

"I just-"

"No, you can't weasel your way out of that. You're brilliant. You really are."

"Well... Thank you!" Sirius didn't know what came over him, he just felt a need to tell her. She turned to look at him. "You're-"

"This isn't about me. It's about you." They both inched in a little closer to each other and lowered their voices when they heard Connor thumping around in his dormitory.

"That boy..." she said softly, throwing a look in the direction of the boys' dormitories.

"I think he's in love with you," Sirius joked in a murmur then took on a more somber expression. "I missed you." She looked over at him again, giving him an odd look.

"I haven't left..."

"No, I mean, when you were... researching, I guess you could call it. When you were trying to find out what your parents were doing. You were different."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "It was just, I hadn't seen my parents since summer going into second year and I was worried." She looked down and played with her fingernail. They were so close now. "I guess... you must get frustrated, your parents how they are." Sirius certainly had not forgotten how he had spent the summer before last, constantly being hit or pushed by his mother day in and day out. His look was that of stone.

"Yeah..." was all he said.

"You're not like them, you know." Morgana clasped his hands in hers. She was so close now he could see every eyelash, soft, long, and black, the tips of them were so light brown they were almost blonde. She laughed softly for no real reason, making Sirius smile. "You're better than them... All of them..." Their lips met. Morgana's wand, which had been laying on her lap, sent different colored sparks into the air- silver, red, blue, green, gold, purple. They slowly broke apart and turned to face the fire, both looking rather embarrassed and the exact same shade of red as Sirius had turned when Morgana had let him down earlier that year as he dangled upside down, courtesy of James. Morgana held her knees and looked into the fire, still pressed against Sirius. She looked like she didn't know what to do.

"December 23rd, huh? Have to mark it on my calendar... 'D-Day' maybe..." he joked quietly. She gave yet another quiet laugh. They sat there for several minutes, the crackle of the fire the only thing breaking the silence. After a few more minutes, Morgana spoke.

"I guess I'll go up to bed, then," she said, sounding a little too cheerful. "'Night... um..." she was crouching awkwardly next to Sirius, her lips halfway to his cheek. She paused momentarily as if she was uncertain what he would do, then quickly pecked him on the cheek. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, just as he had done when they met. She smiled and gave an embarrassed laugh, shaking her head slowly. She looked back down at him, his lips (which were still pressed to her hand) were pulled into a wide grin, laughter and firelight dancing in his grey eyes. She put her arms around him in a hug and then walked toward the steps to the dormitory, leaving Sirius sitting on the floor of the Common Room, leaning against the couch and still smiling.

**OoO**

"Wow, Sirius! You _were_ busy!" James said, grinning, the night he had returned from his parents' house. Remus and James were sitting on the end of Sirius' bed, Sirius had just told them about the events that had taken place on December 23rd. He had waited for Peter, but he hadn't been seen for several hours and Sirius only wanted to tell the story once. James looked at him in awe while Remus shook his head slowly, his mouth slightly open.

"How did you manage that one?" he said, looking at Sirius in sheer wonder. "She doesn't seem like..."

"I know, but I just talked with her," Sirius shrugged. "It was weird, we kind of half dated... kissed a bit, but mostly talked, nothing serious or anything. You know, it happened before you all came back. She hasn't said anything to me all day, though. Not since Lily got back."

"Give her some time, mate! After all, she hasn't seen Lily for a couple of weeks. Probably has to tell her about it, too!" James added with a wink.

But Morgana wasn't saying anything.

"Do anything exciting over break?" Lily asked her friend as she unpacked.

"Oh, not really. Just sort of... hung out. How was your Christmas?"

"Absolutely uneventful, quite unlike a week here!" Morgana gave a laugh that was a bit too loud.

"You all right?"

"What? Oh, yeah! Fine," she smiled, still sounding too cheerful.

"Okay... but something just seems off," Lily turned back to her trunk. Morgana crossed her arms and grinned nervously at the back of her friend's head. She didn't want to tell Lily about Sirius yet, she wasn't quite ready. She didn't know how Lily would react, what she would think. Would she be upset? Would she understand?

_'Nothing really happened though! I mean, we kissed once or twice, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything!'_

_'But you want it to.'_

_'So? I also wanted to be seeker in first year, that didn't happen, did it?'_

_'This is different. First years never make the team.'_

_'I'll try out next year. This is Gretterson's seventh year. Maybe I can make it... Bet I can!'_

_'Bit off topic, aren't we?'_

"Oh, right!" Morgana whispered out loud. Lily paused for a moment, but didn't say anything, Morgana mentally slapped herself.

_'Oh bless her!' _Morgana thought.

**OoO**

It was nearing the end of January. Neither Sirius or Morgana had said anything out of the ordinary to each other. On the contrary, James and Remus were seriously doubting what Sirius had told them before.

"You sure it wasn't just a dream, Sirius?"

"Nah. It happened. What? It did! I know it did!" he added, spotting their skeptical looks. But no matter how much he wanted to tell Morgana what the others were thinking, he didn't. She would come around... eventually. At least, that was what he counted on. After what seemed like years, Sirius finally got fed up.

"Oi! Morgana!"

"Yeah?" she said, whipping around as her name was called through the bustling corridor. The last class of the day had just let out and the entire school was in the hallways of the castle. Sirius pushed his way through the crowd to her.

"Can we talk somewhere?" he said somewhat loudly over the din.

"I can't right now. I have to find Lily. Meet me in the library tonight at quarter to six. We'll talk then!" Sirius opened his mouth to say something but she had already disappeared into the crowd, he made to go after her but the mass of people wouldn't let him through.

Five forty-five came around. Morgana walked into the library, arms full of books. "I have to return these..." she said to the librarian. The old woman smiled at her and nodded as she filled out papers. Morgana walked past several aisles and came across the huge book she was looking for for charms. She flipped to the back- 2,436 pages, that was the one. She walked back up to the desk, signed it out and then looked for Sirius. She caught a glimpse of the back of his head several rows further and turned past another row of books. She walked to the middle of the aisle, standing about ten feet from the table where he stood, observing the events that unfolded before her eyes.

Sirius glanced at his worn watch- 5:46. He sighed and scribbled down another few sentences, copying directly from the notes he had borrowed from Remus and Morgana, muttering the words as he wrote them down.

"Arsenic... though... it can prove... very lethal... can be useful... if the drinker... is under... the-"

"Sirius Black?" He whipped around, knocking over his ink onto his essay as someone called his name from behind him.

"Bugger! Yes?" he said, thoroughly exasperated. He examined who he was up against. A pretty Hufflepuff girl with platinum blonde hair and dark green eyes stood behind him. Her waist-long hair was pulled back revealing a badge that said "SB" on it in bold, black letters with hearts cascading across the background, then it swirled to become a large "M" in a wine color with sparks dancing behind it. She had to have been a fourth year.

"Hello, I'm Alyssa Gardner." Sirius gave a weak smile in return for her large one.

"Hi. Er, do you need something?"

"Oh, well. I just wanted to talk to you. May I sit down?" she pressed on without waiting for a reply. "Thanks. Listen. There's a group of people who'd really like to meet you. There's 23 of us. We'd like you to come to our meetings. Maybe you could teach us something?" He looked at her as though he had been told to kiss James' feet.

"You're in that weird fan club of mine, my friend told me about you!" he said, his eyes darting from her large smile to the badge on her robes. "Speaking of which, she's supposed to be here any minute, so, if you don't mind-" he began to pick up his papers and books, trying to shake off the excess ink on his essay, he'd have Morgana help him with that when he got back, he would have to meet her in the hall.

"We don't think of ourselves as a fan club..." the girl called Alyssa said in a lower voice than before. She bit her lip and traced her finger around her badge. "We're more of an..." she stood up and pressed herself against him. "Affection group, if you will."

"Well, I won-" but Sirius' last words were cut off by another mouth on his. He stood there rigid for a moment and then pushed her away from him, though it was a bit of a struggle. As soon as he freed himself, something moved out of the corner of his eye. He turned.

"You could have just told me. I really didn't need to see it," Morgana said, bearing an expression Sirius had never seen on her face before. She shook her head and then quickly stalked off, a large book pressed to her chest. Sirius stuffed the rest of his papers in his bag and snatched it up from the table.

"Now, look what you've done!" he snapped at Alyssa. She just smiled and began to laugh quite openly.

"Wait until I tell the others!" Sirius stared at her, his mouth half-open, though he cautiously watched her, making sure he could close it in time.

"You're a phsyco! You need mental help!" he exclaimed then went after Morgana. He met up with her almost to Gryffindor Tower.

"Morgana! Please, listen to me!"

"Why should I? Actions speak louder than words, and you certainly saw enough action back there, didn't you?"

"She was one of those crazy fanatics that's obsessed with me! I didn't-"

"Funny, I bet if I were to kiss any other boy in this school, I wouldn't have to be an active member in his fan club. Just you."

"Morgana, I just met her!"

"Well, I'd hate to see what the two of you would have done if I had arrived five minutes later!"

"Morgana, it wasn't like that!"

"Then what was it like? Jujubee," they had arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Please don't do this!"

"Do what?"

"Come on!" he pleaded, grabbing her arm, trying to hold her back from going to the girls' dormitories. The eyes of everyone in the Common Room were on them. Luckily, there were only about eight people there.

"Let go of me!"

"Hear me out!"

"I'll hex you!" she said, trying to pull away from him, but he was too strong for her.

"Please."

"Black! Let go of me, dammit!" She hadn't called him 'Black' since they met. He stared at her, stunned. "_Relashio_!" Sirius felt his hand burn on her arm and he let go immediately.

"Morgana... please..." he croaked.

"Stay the hell away from me, Black!" she said loudly, her voice cracking as she rushed up the steps. Sirius watched her vanish around the corner and turned to the other people in the room.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped. They went back to what they were doing as he flopped down in an empty armchair.

* * *

**A/N:** Crappy ending. Anyways, I finished Deathly Hallows the day it came out, no excuse for me to not write. It took me so long to finish this though! Kinda long too. At least that's how it looks on my program. Anyway, I'm off to write some more. Feel free to leave reviews, hint hint. I've only received two but I know for a fact that there are more than two people reading. S'all I'm gonna say! 

Cheers,

Dot


	9. Quidditch and Quarrels

**A/N:** This'll be going straight into 4th year. I hate to say it, but if I did a bunch of chapters per Hogwarts year, I'd be writing until I died. Not that I would mind, but you, my few readers, probably would.

**Warning:** This will, contrary to what I said in the previous chapter, have a spoiler here and there from Deathly Hallows. I am terribly sorry. I over looked that detail. Smite me. However, just for you my few-and-far-between-readers (that's my pet name for you if you hadn't noticed), I made this chapter extra long.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned everything or anything pretaining to Harry Potter, would I be here? No! I'd be spending loads of money on... stuff. I do love you guys, though.

**_Chapter 9- Quidditch and Quarrels_**

* * *

"All right, Lils, just try to get it right through!" Morgana said, reassuringly. She and Lily had been practicing on the Quidditch pitch for over an hour. The fourth year girls both were trying out for the Quidditch Team. Three people had been seventh years on the previous team and had graduated, leaving the positions of Chaser, Beater, and even Seeker up for grabs. 

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" Lily groaned, spinning the large, red Quaffle in her hands, fearfully looking down at the ground which was far below her.

"That's the thirty-eighth time you've said that since we started, now come on and throw it! You didn't have to come you know."

"Yeah, I know," Lily said, turning on her broom and slowly going to the other end of the pitch, determinedly trying not to look down. She wheeled her broom back around and faced Morgana, took a deep breath and zoomed towards her. Morgana hovered towards the middle hoop, trying to make sure she could block any at a moment's notice. She saw Lily slightly going to the right and inched her way over, suddenly she zoomed to the left and hurtled the Quaffle through the goal. Her hands flew up to her mouth and her eyes widened in shock. "Did you see-? Did I just-? Morgana, I just scored a goal!"

"Yeah, you did!" Morgana said, beaming. "Your first goal! See, you could be Chaser!" Morgana added, knowing full well that she was severely stretching the limitations of exaggeration. One goal did not a win make. Lily shook her head.

"Nah, the heights get to me, but it is great up here if you don't look down!" she said, staring out in all direction, slowly turning in the air.

"Yeah it is... Hey, I have to practice!" Morgana added, she had been so preoccupied with Lily, she forgot all about trying to be Seeker. Morgana swooped into a vertical dive and pulled up feet from the ground, she stopped and opened up the chest which held the Bludgers, clubs, Snitch, and Quaffle, had Lily not been holding it. "Oi! Toss the Quaffle down!"

"All right!" Lily, still trying desperately not to look down, let the large, red ball drop from her hands. Morgana caught it and placed it absentmindedly in its place.

"Told me to bloody use gloves. 'They're in the case, Morgana! Really easy to find!' Yeah... sure..." she grumbled, rummaging around. Finally, she found a pair of worn leather gloves shoved forcefully into the far-right corner of the bottom section. She shoved them on her hands and got out the tiny golden ball. She heard a soft click and two small wings unfurled themselves and began to flutter madly. She released the Snitch and it whizzed off towards the opposite end of the pitch. Morgana kicked off hard from the ground and flew over to Lily who was looking out towards the lake.

"Gosh the view is lovely!" she said in awe as Morgana came up beside her. "I wouldn't mind playing just for the view!"

"Well, I have a feeling you don't really get to enjoy the scenery much during a match. Dodging bludgers, keeping goals, looking for the Snitch, trying to throw a ball into a hoop..."

"Speaking of which, where is-"

"Hello, ladies! Lovely weather we're having, eh?" a new figure zoomed up between the two of them and put an arm around each of their shoulders. Lily tried to pull away, looking revolted, but couldn't move. "Great view, eh? Really... romantic actually..." he added, raising his eyebrows at Lily.

"Ugh! Get away from me, Potter!" Lily said, jabbing him in the ribs and flying out of arms reach of him.

"Pity, Evans. We would be great you know! The children would be absolutely stunning! Brains, beauty, brawn- what more could you ask for?" James said, still gripping Morgana who had a look on her face similar to the one Lily was bearing.

"For my children not to have to rely solely on my genetics for brains. That would be pleasant."

"Now, now, Evans. Play nicely!" another voice said, coming up on Morgana's right side and putting his arm around her other shoulder. She looked between the two boys on either side of her, appearing as though she were watching a particularly revolting tennis match. Right, left, right, left. The boy on the right turned to her. "Hello, le Fay. Have a good day, today?" he said in a slightly lower voice than before.

"It was... enchanting before you forced you way into it, _Black_!" she said coldly, putting particular emphasis on the last word and wrestling free of the two boys, zooming over to Lily.

"Oh, now don't be that way, dear!" Sirius said, looking reproachfully at her.

"Were you two thinking of trying out for the Team?" James said, studying the golden ball fluttering between his fingers.

"Potter! That Snitch was meant for the tryouts!" Morgana set her jaw.

"So what?"

"Snitches have a flesh memory, you dunderhead! If there was any dispute in tryouts as to who caught the Snitch, it would be easily solved!" she said, shrilly. "Now, since you're the first one who touched it, your skin is burned into its memory."

"Poor, thing! Imagine, Potter the only thing you can remember!" Lily said, her arms crossed.

"So who's trying out for what?" James continued, ignoring the last comment.

"I heard Miss le Fay's going all Seeker on us, whilst young Miss Evans tries her luck out at Chaser," Sirius said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"You'll be delighted to find that, I too, and trying for Chaser."

"I can't contain my excitement," Lily snapped.

"And my accomplice, Mr. Black, who is present to my... whatever side he's on, is trying out for Beater. He's also very much available," he added, looking pointedly at Morgana who snorted. While Lily rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"If it were between you and Snape, I'd go for the latter," Morgana said, smirking slightly.

"What?!" Sirius yelped, looking genuinely shocked. "Why him?"

"I find that his personality is far more agreeable than yours, Black. Also, his head is not quite as large as yours or your friend's."

"Snape? Snape?! Severus Snape?! Snivellus from Slytherin? You're joking, right?!"

"No."

"I take severe offense at that remark, m'dear."

"Whatever. It is what it is. Come on, Lily. Let's go." Lily gratefully flew down to the ground, Morgana following close behind.

"How did they get there? One moment we were alone and the next we've been surrounded by morons!" Lily said as they walked back to the Tower.

"I don't know. Really weird though. Unsettling really..." Morgana mumbled, looking over her shoulder as if the meeting would take place once again, but this time in the corridor.

"I don't understand it! They were tolerable this time last year, and actually pleasant before then. What happened?" Morgana's heart sank to her stomach. What was she doing a year ago at this exact moment? Was she in the Common Room, studying at a table with the Marauders, absently scratching her eyebrow with her quill tip, mumbling potion ingredients under her breath? Was she snapping at someone for the tiniest offense? Perhaps she was sitting across from the fire, staring into it as she so often did. Whatever she had been doing had happened a lifetime ago. Before Christmas break of that year, before she had fixed Sirius' bag after he had vanished the bottom of it, before they had kissed, most definitely before she even knew Alyssa Gardner existed.

_'I should have seen it, really. He had a fan club for Merlin's sake! It was only a matter of time.'_

If she had known back then that within a year's time, hell, within a few month's time, that she would barely be on speaking terms with Peter and Remus and James and especially Sirius, she would have savored every moment. Suddenly it occurred to her, she was probably yelling at someone or hexing them into oblivion a year ago, this moment. She didn't know where her parents were, what they were doing, her summer hadn't been very eventful apart from the fact that her arm had been sliced down from elbow to hand. A couple more weeks and it would have been a year since Sirius confronted her in that empty classroom and told her that everyone was worried about her. Then she had studied hard, barely speaking to anyone about something that was not class-related. Then, it was a few more weeks and she finished the huge stack of books she had taken from the library, trying to find out about anything that could have kept her parents away from her for a year. She had finished the last book and handed it to Connor Creevey who gladly took it to the library for her. Connor had been mentioned just before Sirius and Morgana had kissed.

_"I think he's in love with you,"_ Sirius had said. Then he had said something about Morgana's fixation with Auror books and how she had first snapped at everyone in sight then said nothing to anyone for weeks without dire need. Then they had switched to the topic of family, talking in low, hushed voices.

_"You're not like them, you know. You're better than them... All of them..." _she had said as they inched nearer and nearer to each other. She could feel his warm breath on her face. His thick, black hair gently fell into his striking grey eyes. Their hands clasped tight as their lips met. Then, they broke away, embarrassed. A month later, his lips met with someone else's. Alyssa Gardner's lips, to be specific. Merlin knows how many he had snogged since then. Far more than Morgana. But of course, anything was more than zero. She hadn't even told Lily, to whom she told everything, about the evening of December 23rd.

"Morgana? Are you listening to me?" Lily brought her back to earth.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry Lils... I got side tracked."

"Well, I had just asked you what you thought happened with them," Lily said, jerking her head at the last word. Them meaning Marauders.

"What do you mean? They were always jerks really. Now it's just slightly more noticeable."

"Well, you saw how they acted! And then they're always beating up on Sev!" Lily's green eyes widened, she had said too much.

"Sev? As in _Sev_erus Snape? Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about that-"

"Let's do a trade. You tell me about you and Black, I'll tell you about Severus," Lily said, desperate for information on the Marauder Black.

"I want to hear about you as well, Lils," Morgana said, giving her friend puppy eyes.

"Fine, but it's once we get back to the dormitory."

"No problem." They traveled the rest of the way in silence. They clambered through the portrait hole, and up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Morgana put her broom in her trunk, Lily did the same. They flopped on Morgana's bed and closed the hangings.

"Muffliato," Lily muttered. "There. Now, who's to go first?"

"You're taking advantage of my hospitality, my sleeping quarters, you go first."

"Then we'll go to my bed. I insist, you tell me about Black."

"I'm too lazy to move!" Morgana yawned. "Rock, Paper, Scissors?" She suggested, leaning back on her pillows.

"Sure." They brought their fists down three times, Morgana kept hers while Lily extended her hand. "Paper beats rock, you first." Morgana flopped back down on her pillows and squeezed her eyes shut, making peculiar facial expressions as if she were deciding something and muttering her options silently to herself. After a minute, her eyes burst open.

"Bugger..." she sighed and sat back up to lean on her elbows, staring at her purple, fuzzy socks. "Okay... Where to begin... Where to begin..." she sighed again. "Our first day at Hogwarts, when we got on the train, I looked and looked for a compartment. I met teenagers and people from every house. Got my first glimpse of the wonderful, warm-hearted Snape (no offense). I had about ten compartments left when I came upon the charming blighters we now know as delightful, Sirius Black and humble, James Potter. We got along really well-" she deliberately skipped over Sirius' welcoming gesture. Had he used that on any other girls? She pushed on. "You came in, you know the story. Well, second year comes around and Sirius was acting really strange, remember? It turns out that his mum had seen me saying 'good-bye' to him and wasn't pleased at all. Sirius defended me to his mum and he got... pushed around you could say. We eventually sorted that out and got on fine again. That summer, I stayed at my aunt's. My parents were gone all summer and I was angry because I didn't see them, sad because I missed them, and confused because I didn't know why they were gone. I hadn't seen them since September 1st, second year. So I tried to find out what happened and I wasn't sleeping as much because I kept reading up on why they would have to go. I was... cranky as you probably remember. Well, Sirius took me aside one day and said everyone was worried-" Lily nodded, solemnly, "-and that he was there for me. So, then I toned down the reading and slept normally again, but I was constantly preoccupied. I read all those books and nothing was in them! I learned nothing! So, I finished them and sort of gave up, which made me extremely happy. Anyway, Christmas was coming, I'd see my parents in a month! So, I went back to normal. Then Dumbledore called me into his office and I found out that my parents were doing something for him, tracking someone down and they couldn't be home. I stayed here for Christmas."

"All right, we're at Christmas, last year, now. Go on."

"Break was so great! Sirius and I just... sat around, doing different things, boring things, but making it kind of fun, you know? Well, Sirius was stupid and got into a visit with Madam Pomfrey and stayed overnight. He got locked out of the Tower along with this kid and I got them back in and then we spent the rest of the day together and... stuff..."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff." Lily didn't give in. Morgana reluctantly puckered her lips, slapped her hand to her mouth and made a smacking sound as she pulled it away, looking extremely ashamed.

"You two bloody kissed?!" Lily said loudly. "You and Black kissed and you never told me?! I mean I knew it had happened, but I suppose you confirming it-!"

"Sh! Not so loud! Merlin!"

"Sorry, go on," Lily said, not getting any quieter, the slightest hint of a hard note in her voice.

"Sorry, I was embarrassed and I didn't know what you'd say! Anyway, break ended and we kind of did too. Didn't talk much. Then, a month or so later, Sirius told me to meet him in the Library, he wanted to talk to me," every word seemed to be forced out of her, she felt tears burning in her eyes. This was the first time she had told someone. "I walked into the Library and I found him, standing near a table... snogging that Gardner girl." Lily looked like she wanted to kill. "I walked out, he tried to talk to me, but I wouldn't let him and-"

"He wanted to talk! Oh that bloody-" she swore loudly. "I'll kill him, I'll bloody kill him! Her too!"

"No, no Lily! You can't say anything!"

"All right," she said, Morgana didn't fully believe her.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. Now how about you and ol' Snapey-poo?"

"First off, how did you know?"

"It took a while, four years to be exact, but just little hints here and there."

"Yeah, I'm his best friend according to him. He's not really that bad, you know."

"Fancy that," Morgana said, slightly uninterested. "Well go on! I told you mine, you tell me yours!"

"Oh fine!" she paused and looked pointedly at her fingernails. "Well, you know we live in our house-"

"Really? I never knew!" Morgana said, laughing.

"Yeah, well you learn something new every day, Ana. Anyway, not far from where we live is this little back road called Spinners' End, it's not a... very desirable place to live. Halfway between my house and Spinners' End is a playground where Petunia and I used to play. Petunia would get mad at me because I would jump off of the swings and it would take me far longer than it should to touch the ground. I would do all sorts of things, make flowers open and reopen, do that thing with the swing- all sorts of stuff. One day, I jumped off the swing and a boy came out of the bushes. He told me that I was a witch. Petunia didn't want to hear it and took me home. Then, I started seeing the boy almost every time we went to the playground. His name was Severus, Severus Snape. He told me all about Hogwarts and he said that we'd get on the train together and everything and that we'd learn magic and someone would come to tell my parents about me soon. They did. When September 1st came around, Petunia was angry at me because I was leaving. She even wrote to Dumbledore to try to get in but he told her no, let her down very gently. She was angry and I went on the train, Sev found me and we went to another compartment where we met Potter and Black- oh happy day. We left after a minute and some girls invited me into their compartment but Sev wouldn't come so he sat somewhere else."

"Yeah, I almost sat down by him in the train, but he was... less hospitable than I had hoped for."

"He was kind of angry. Then he was really let down when I got sorted into Gryffindor, but I told him we could still be friends. I don't mind him, he can be really nice, but those guys he hangs around with! I can't stand them."

"Mulciber..." Morgana growled. "How I'd relish hexing him in a hallway."

"Wouldn't we all, and Avery! Really though, I think you'd like Sev."

"Pity, he's always a complete-"

"Hey, I'm meeting him in the Library tomorrow to study, wanna come? I'm sure he won't mind!"

"I dunno, Lils..."

"If you don't, I won't let it slip to Chris about you and Sirius."

"I love Chris and all, but she really can't keep secrets well!"

"Exactly."

"Blackmailer."

"Thank you. So, we'll go to the Library about five-ish?"

"Fine, but if he has a go at me, I will hex him."

"I won't stop you, just try to have an open mind, okay?"

"'Kay, I'll try."

"Thank you!" Lily said, giving her friend and hug, slightly knocking her over.

"Anytime."

**OxO**

"What's she doing here?" Snape said, looking up from his parchment through his greasy curtain of hair. Morgana stood behind Lily in the Library, her jaw set.

"Morgana's coming to study with us, Sev," Lily said, talking to him as if he were talking to a five-year-old who wouldn't share. "Is that all right?"

"I suppose," he sighed, flicking his wand to clear off another spot at the table. Lily jabbed her in the ribs.

"Oh, thanks," Morgana said. Lily sat down across from Snape while Morgana sat next to her. Morgana noticed Snape's eyes flicking up ever so often to see what her friend was doing.

"So, Sev, how was you day today?"

"Fine, and yours?"

"Oh, not bad. What about you Morgana?" Morgana could tell Lily was trying to get her friends to talk to each other. It appeared that neither of them really cared to.

"Delightful," Morgana said, pretending to look at some notes while really watching Snape to make sure he didn't try to pull anything on them. A long pause followed this. Morgana felt Lily fidget next to her.

"Sev, what was that joke you said the other day? Something about Black's heart. It was so funny, I bet Morgana'd love it! Wouldn't you, Ana?"

"Definitely," Morgana said, still looking at her parchment and scribbling down sentence after sentence.

"What was it again, Sev?" Morgana saw Snape pick his head up and look at Lily.

"Sirius Black having a seriously black heart?" he said quietly, raising and eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah!" she gave a loud laugh that was clearly forced. Morgana and Snape exchanged a glance and looked back to Lily who's laughter had ebbed out to fake giggles. She abruptly stopped giggling and cleared her throat. "Excuse me. I'll be right back." She got up and walked out while the other two went back to their work.

"What's up with her?" Morgana said after they had been working in silence for several minutes.

"I thought you might know."

"I think she wants us to get along." Snape looked up, mouth open slightly, his greasy hair hanging limply around his sickly-looking skin. "Maybe we should." He gave her a look as if she had flobberworms for hair. "I'm not saying really get along, Merlin knows that wouldn't work-" Snape nodded. "I'm just saying in front of her so that she gets back to normal. I don't want to hear her laughing like that again, it was just scary."

"Why should I do anything with the likes of you?" he said sharply.

"I'm not keen on the idea either you twit, but I care about Lily, you do too, let's just grin- or in this case, grimace, and bear it."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" he snapped.

"I don't know!" she retorted with even more ferocity than he had used. "We'll pretend that we were having a normal conversation when she comes in, and we'll call each other by first name or something... Sevvy..." she added with a smirk.

"You call me that and I'll hex you into oblivion-" Morgana snorted but he pushed on. "but we should fake it."

"I- bugger here she comes!" Morgana said, quickly coming up with something to say and pretended to be talking to Snape in what she tried to make a very kind voice. "Here, Sev, you can use mine," she quickly vanished the remainder of ink in Snape's bottle and handed him another.

"Thank you, Morgana," he said, forcing a smile that came out closer to a smirk. Lily came up to the table just as they both had their hand on the ink bottle.

"Hey, guys! I knew you'd get along!" she added to herself, Snape didn't catch it, but Morgana did, she smiled broadly, Snape followed suit after she kicked him under the table with a little more strength than needed.

**OxO**

"All right, guys! Thanks for trying out!" After this was shouted by the Team Captain, a group of people flew off towards the castle. Quidditch tryouts were going on and Chaser had just ended. Lily had tried to make several goals but only got two, one was because the Keeper had sneezed and nearly fell off of his broom, giving Lily an easy and clear shot. James Potter had made some very nice goals, though Morgana had ignored him, which was extremely hard to do because Sirius was behind her making an awful lot of noise.

"Wish me luck, babe?" Sirius said, sitting down backwards on the same bleacher as Morgana, a suggesting look on his face.

"Break a bloody leg, I really mean that."

"You won't be saying that when I'm outta school and have a motorbike..."

"Many people in this wide world have a motorbike."

"Ah, but it won't be an ordinary one. Remember, whenever you want me, I'm right here... anytime. Good luck." He made a smacking sound after puckering his lips and kicked off from the bleacher as potential Beaters were called up. Morgana anxiously looked towards the castle, Lily hadn't come back. No one had, but the captain, Matt McKinnon, a tall 6th year, had clearly announced it to the small group because some of the smaller students had desperately crestfallen looks on their faces. She watched the Beaters try out. Most of them were pathetic, one boy, who was one of the first to try out, got hit in the face with a Bludger and Morgana was called upon to take him up to the Hospital Wing.

"Oh, not another one!" Madam Pomfrey said. "I swear, Quidditch'll be the death of me!" Morgana had said something in agreement and then quickly ran back out the the pitch. The other four trying out for Beater had gone into the castle already and Seeker tryouts were just beginning.

"Hold on, Matt! Morgana's just got back!"

"Thanks, Frank!" Morgana panted, zooming over to his side. Frank Longbottom, one of the Beaters from the previous year smiled at her quickly.

"Great, now onto business!" McKinnon said, grinning at the group of students in front of him. There were two timid-looking first years, a determined third year, a hefty sixth year, and two giggling seventh year girls plus Morgana. McKinnon surveyed all of them like a kid trying to pick out which piece of candy he wanted from a jar. "So, I released the Snitch before anyone showed up for tryouts. I want you to try to find the Snitch. Then, once it's caught, we're going to circle the pitch twice, then I want to see how you maneuver. All right? Good. Now go on!" Morgana flew up as high as she could go while everyone except the third year shot out to either their right or left. The third year boy, however, hovered slightly below Morgana and to her left. She scanned the pitch.

_'They look like little children at an egg hunt!'_ she thought to herself. She really didn't like how the Seeker tryouts had been set up, the others had been great, but everything just seemed so haphazard. If someone were to see the Snitch, naturally the others would see it and follow suit. Morgana began to slowly circle the pitch, carefully scanning for the Snitch.

"Come on guys! Find the little git!" McKinnon shouted, circling above anyone else. Morgana snorted. Another ten minutes went by, the sun setting rather quickly, until Morgana saw a slight glint reflected off of something hovering above the middle goal post at the other end of the pitch. She was a good twenty feet above the others... except for one. She glanced behind her, the third year boy was carefully watching her every move. She smiled and took off, still looking back at him. He sped after her, several seconds behind, but gaining fast. Suddenly, she pulled into a vertical climb, he followed. She pulled out of it and turned the opposite way and flew past him, missing him by mere inches. It was getting darker and darker. She made a sharp right turn back towards the goal post and pulled into a dive. Suddenly, something collided with her and she fell off of her broom, holding on by just one hand, still speeding towards the post, now pulled out of the dive.

"You slimy git!" Morgana roared, swinging herself out towards the third year who was zooming alongside her. She felt her foot collide with something that was fairly soft and the boy lurched to the side. She hoisted herself back up on her broom quickly and saw a little gold ball now hovering above the left goal post. Next thing she knew, there was a gold streak whizzing towards the right making its way towards the stands, she followed it as fast as she could, glancing behind her very quickly to see the third year fifty feet behind her, the others following hopefully. She began to close the gap between her and the Snitch. Fifty feet... twenty feet... fifteen feet... ten... five... mere inches. A red jet of light soared past her head as she caught the Snitch in her left hand as her right brought her wand out from her robes. She quickly turned and saw the third year, his wand out and pointed towards her as Frank Longbottom flew over to him.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled, whipping out his own wand. The boy just smirked.

"Trying to get on the Team."

"Yeah, well, you're out of the running. And- Hold on-" McKinnon said, coming over and looking at the boys' robes. "You're not even Gryffindor! Hufflepuff?!" he turned to Frank. "What the hell are they trying to pull?" The two Chasers from the previous years came over, going much slower than either Frank or McKinnon had.

"What's going on?" one of them, an auburn-haired girl said.

"Hufflepuff!" McKinnon said, his voice high-pitched and outraged.

"My sister told me to," the boy said, still smirking.

"And who is your sister?" McKinnon said, shaking the boy by his shoulders.

"Alyssa Gardner." Morgana flew past Frank, McKinnon, and the two Chasers over to the boy and grabbed his collar roughly and pulled her fist back.

"Hey! _Hey!" _McKinnon said, pulling Morgana off of the boy. She pulled back, jaw set. "I don't want to have to get rid of my new Seeker before she even plays!" She turned to look at him.

"What?! Say that again."

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? The others don't even know how to look for the Snitch and the only other possible choice is a slimy little Hufflepuff twit!"

"I'm seriously the new Seeker?" she said, beaming. She had almost forgot what she came for.

"Yeah, now go down to the castle like a good little Team Member who almost pummelled the hell out of a Hufflepuff."

"Okay!" she said, her voice shrill and her heart thumping wildly. She didn't really think she'd make it. Her feet hit the ground and she walked into where the others had walked before, but no one was there. "Lily? Lils, you there?" Nothing. She headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Who's the new Seeker?" the Fat Lady asked anxiously.

"Yours truly!" Morgana said beaming. The woman in the painting gave a quick series of claps and swung open without waiting for the password. Morgana was greeted with a loud roar coming from the Common Room. Immediately she saw who had made the Team. James and Sirius were standing on a table conducting the chorus of "For They Are Jolly Good Fellows" animatedly. They didn't notice the portrait hole opening so she slipped around the back of the crowd.

"Hey!" Lily said, sipping a butterbeer as Morgana sat down next to her near the corner.

"You didn't make it?"

"Nah, I kind of freaked out at the beginning and I only made two goals. Potter made about nine."

"Yeah I saw."

"So who's Seeker?!"

"It was between me and this other kid. Only problem, the other kid was a Hufflepuff... and brother of Alyssa Gardner." Morgana saw Lily's eyes flash.

"Brother of the same girl who kissed Sirius when you went to meet him in the Library?"

"The very same! And he said his sister told him to try out and while he tried out to attempt to hex me from 100 feet in the air. Nice family, huh?" she added.

"So that makes you..." Lily said beaming.

"The new Seeker!" Morgana whispered, pretending to be dramatic. Lily gave a loud squeal and hugged her friend.

"That is so great!" Lily said, pausing to put emphasis on each word.

"I know! I didn't think I'd really get it though."

"Why not?"

"Well, I wasn't sure! I mean, there are loads of people here who can fly better than me, faster than me."

"So? You had just the right amount! Who cares about those other people?! You're a Seeker! You're _the_ Seeker!" The entire room grew silent as the portrait hole opened, revealing Frank Longbottom, Matt McKinnon, and the two Chasers. The crowd began to cheer again and passed four butterbeers to the front for them. It was a few minutes before someone yelled,

"Wait! Who's Seeker?" McKinnon looked confused.

"Didn't she tell you? Morgana's Seeker." They all looked around and spotted Morgana by the wall. She was cornered. Next thing she knew, she was hoisted into the air, passed over the crowd and set on the table between Sirius and James who looked astonished.

"You're Seeker?" Sirius shouted over the din.

"Why, pray tell, is that such a surprise?"

"I just- You don't... Congratulations!" she wasn't convinced and pulled the gold ball out of her pocket and held it up.

"I caught it."

"Nice one!" James said, eyeing the Snitch.

"Personally, I'm more surprised you two found time out of your busy schedule to even try out! What with pranks and such. Oh, and girls of course!" she glared pointedly at Sirius who opened his mouth but she had already hopped off the table and disappeared into the crowd. "Oi! McKinnon!" she shouted towards the captain over the crowd. He looked over at her as she made her way through.

"Yeah?"

"What did you do with that git from Huflepuff?"

"I'm not allowing you to pummel him, Morgana," he said grinning. "McGonagall told me to come to her with my choices in the morning. I'll tell her then. Can't believe he tried to hex you."

"Five minutes with the little bug is all I ask... Give him a good, stern talking-to!" she said, looking as innocent as possible. He just shook his head, grinning and walked off. She went back to Lily, who was still in the corner, tracing the rim of her bottle, deep in thought.

"Why you..." she mumbled.

"What?"

"Why are the Gardner kids after you?"

"Maybe it's a coincidence." Lily looked up.

"Coincidence my- Look, how come some girl with a supposed obsession with Black shows up in the Library and snogs him when he's supposed to meet you at the same time, to talk about when you two snogged?"

"I told him to meet me there in the hallway when classes let out, she might have heard."

"True, she might have just wanted to break you two up-"

"Well, she managed that one-"

"BUT," she said loudly over Morgana. "if she already succeeded and knew you two weren't talking, along with the rest of the school, might I add, why would she send her younger brother on you?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Unless..." Lily said, dawning comprehension on her face. "Unless she knew you were still a threat! Oh come on, Ana! Don't be thick! Peter Pettigrew could see he still fancies you!"

"What? Him and Potter saying constantly how he's available and what not? They do that to every girl!" Lily rolled her eyes affectionately like a mother who was telling her daughter "We don't deny you food!"

"Ana, that's what _you_ see. You don't see what he does behind your back! Stares at you all through class, constantly plays with his hair, trying to get it just right for you, whenever you roll your eyes at him or put him down otherwise, he looks slighty pathetic. You're the only girl that he does that for!"

"Okay, I'm going to bring you down, no matter how hard you try!" Lily laughed at the comment. "1. 'Stares at you through class'- has it ever occurred to you that he always sits behind me and doesn't listen in class. 2. He's Sirius Black! He always plays with his hair! 3. He always looks pathetic. Add to the fact that he was just turned down or degraded in some way." Lily shook her head, smiling.

"1. Really lame excuse, I'm disregarding it. 2. You do have a point there. As for three... well I have nothing to say on that matter." Morgana crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.

"Ah, how mature! Such a lovely and lady-like young lady! Most ladiest lady-like of the ladies!" someone said behind Morgana

"Don't make me hex you, Black!" Morgana said, threateningly, arms still crossed. As Sirius hopped over the couch Morgana gave Lily a look. 'Did he hear?' Lily gave a small jerk of the head to the right and then to the left. He had no clue what they were talking about.

"So, I overheard a couple of seventh year girls, very good looking for the record, but they said that there was a Hufflepuff boy trying to hex my dear Morgana. I can't let that happen, now can I?"

"Oh shove the act, Black!"

"What act?" he looked truly confused.

"The whole macho-ladies-man thing! It's honestly sickening."

"Sure. Fine then. Who tried to hex you from 100 feet in the air? I'd like to give them what they have coming." Her hard gaze softened slightly. She saw a glimpse of the old Sirius, the corners of her mouth twitched.

"No thanks. I can handle myself, if you don't mind."

"I'm full aware of that, believe you me. Then just tell me the name, I won't do anything to them." She stared at him for a minute, emotionless. Then said through gritted teeth,

"Her brother." He looked at her for a moment more, blinked, and turned his attention to the floor next to her foot. He knew exactly what she meant. He looked like he was deep in thought but all he could manage was "Huh." and then walked off. Lily looked at her, a knowing smile on her face.

"_'My dear Morgana'?_ Oh yes! Hates your guts!" Morgana threw a lumpy, old pillow at her friend as she laughed. Morgana shook her head at her friend who was in hysterics.

"You're despicable and-and delusional... and disoriented by the looks of it! What the bloody hell did someone spike your butterbeer with, Lils?!" Lily gasped for breath from laughing so hard.

"Woo, sorry! Lack of sleep, butterbeer, loud environment," she giggled. "Weeeee!"

"Okay, now I know you're lying!" Lily's laughter ceased immediately.

"Yeah, I am. Pushing it there, eh?"

"Well, I've been giddy, for sure, but I've never gone into hysterics and started shouting 'wee!'" Lily shrugged.

"I am tired though. Think I'll turn in. You coming?" she yawned.

"Eh, you go on, I'll be up in a minute."

"'Kay." Lily retreated up the stairs. Morgana took Lily's seat and sipped her butterbeer while watching the crowd.

"Weird creatures, humans," she muttered to herself, raising her bottle to her lips. It was truly amazing how they could flock around a few people so fast and efficiently. "Weren't you just over here?" she said as Sirius sat down across from her.

"Nah, that was my twin brother, Serious. Spelled S-E-R-I-O-U-S."

"Well, excuse me S-I-R-I-U-S, I'm going to bed," she said, getting up.

"Hang on," he swigged something from a bottle and passed it to her. "Try this." She gave him an odd look and sipped.

"How'd you get Firewhiskey in here?"

"Wouldn't you like to kn- hey!" Morgana vanished the contents of the bottle, tossed it to him, empty.

"For your own good. Oh! Do you know where Remus is?"

"No, haven't seen him since yesterday, come to think of it. He misses a lot of school," Sirius said, vanishing the bottle with a disgusted look on his face. 'What a waste...'

"Yeah, he does..." Morgana shook her head, looking a Sirius' knee, deep in thought.

"Morgana, you know, I really think that we-"

"No," she said sternly, and walked towards the girls' dormitories.

"Seer, I swear it!" he said, sitting back and watching her go up the stairs.

**OxO**

"He told me his mum was sick and he had to visit her," Lily said, the next day in Charms as they conjured goblets. Morgana had just asked her what she thought about Remus' absense.

"When he comes back, he looks terrible! Looks terrible right before he goes too."

"I suppose he doesn't want to see his mum like that and when he does he feels bad."

"Something's just not right there, Lily."

"Well, Remus can sort out his own problems. If he tells us, he tells us. Now, the Gardner family-"

"Oh not that again!"

"You have to admit, it's odd! It would have been easy enough to find out you were trying out-"

"Alyssa probably just wanted to sabotage the Team and told her brother to wipe out whoever looked like they could make it. Let's face it, the others did horribly. Two were giggling too loudly to hear a Mandrake, another two were too scared to do anything, and the other looked more like Beater material than Seeker. Can't believe the first match is tomorrow against Ravenclaw..." she added in a soft mutter to herself

"I still think something's wrong-"

"Girls, a little less talking, a little more wand waving!"

"Yes, Professor Flitwick," they replied dully.

**OxO**

It had been about a week since Quidditch tryouts, the first game was another week away. It had also been a week since Remus was seen last when he arrived back to Hogwarts.

"Remus!" the other three Marauders roared as their friend trudged through the portrait hole, they ran over to him, obscuring him from sight within seconds. Morgana and Lily were sitting at a back table studying when he came in.

"How does he look?" Morgana said, trying to peer over the heads of the other Marauders.

"I didn't see. Usually he's only gone two or three days. A week? I hope his mum didn't get worse than-" she was cut off by Morgana's sharp gasp, she had just caught a glimpse of Remus' face. There were several long scratches from the his left temple to the left corner of his mouth, there were large bags under his eyes and he looked exceptionally pale, bordering on Snape-like. The scratches seemed to be deep and only half-healed over, bright pink and puffy. However, despite his physical condition, Remus seemed to be ecstatic to see his friends who were already half-way through telling him everything that had happened during his absense.

"What do you think happened to him?" Morgana said, turning to Lily, her voice heavy with sympathy.

"I don't know... poor bloke! I hope it heals soon!"

"But Rem, we've got special... goods you could call them in the dormitory!" Morgana heard James say loudly, calling him by his hardly-ever-used nickname which sounded like "Ream".

"I'll be right up, okay?" there were grumbles (or in Peter's case, squeaks) of agreement as the other three went up to the dormitories and Remus walked over to where Lily and Morgana were sitting.

"Hey, Rem! How're you doing?" Morgana said, trying to be fairly cheery.

"Oh, not too bad. I heard you made Seeker."

"Yeah."

"It was between you and a Hufflepuff?"

"Those other three can fit a whole lotta detail in a little bit of time, eh?"

"Well I heard 'James is Chaser', 'Sirius is Beater', and 'Morgana went up for Seeker against a Hufflepuff third year boy who tried to hex her from 100 feet in the air!'"

"Ah, yes. Amazing and vivid detail."

"What happened to him?"

"Well, McKinnon wouldn't let me pummel the git, so he talked to McGonagall. A month's detention by McGonagall. Supposedly she yelled at McKinnon too for not checking that he was in Gryffindor."

"Well, who would have thought of that, there hasn't been a problem before!"

"That's what I thought. So, where were you, if you don't mind me asking? Black managed to smuggle in some Firewhiskey when you were gone!"

"Bloody hell! Don't stop do they? But, I was visiting my mum. She's getting a bit better, but I managed to trip over the table when I went to Floo back. Hit my head, got these-" he gestured to the cuts on his face "-had to stay home for another five days, I hit my head so hard. What are you gonna do?"

"Sorry to hear that!" she gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, you'd best find the others, they've probably set out several traps for when you walk in, already."

"Yeah, see you later!"

"Welcome back!" once he was out of earshot, she told Lily, "I've fallen many a time, those scratches are far too deep for just tripping in your living room. Plus, he told me once his dad heals amazingly, even though he's a Ministry worker, why aren't they healed fully after five days?!"

"Exactly, something's wrong there too! Honestly! Between you and the Gardners and Remus and his injuries-"

"It'll be the death of you?" Lily nodded her head sadly.

**OxO**

Morgana awoke the morning of the match, nervousness already overtaking her. She quietly got out of bed and got dressed. They had practiced well, and the weather was perfect, but Morgana was still extremely nervous. She tiptoed past Chris and Ally's beds and went down to the Great Hall. Sirius and James were already sitting by McKinnon and Frank.

"Morning! Nervous?" McKinnon said brightly, pouring her a pumpkin juice as she took a seat across from him, next to Frank.

"Hey... well, yeah."

"The first match is always the worst, after that it'll just become habit. Don't worry, you'll do fine!" he added, seeing her still apprehensive expression.

"Hungry?" Frank said, waving a plate of food under her nose, she shook her head, he gestured to Sirius and James who appeared to be somewhat confident. "That's what those two said too. We can do this the hard way, or we can do it the easy way. Eat the toast or suffer Matt's wrath."

"I think I'd take Matt, but just for you two, I'll go with the toast."

"Excellent," he handed her two pieces of toast.

"Hey, there's Alice!" Matt said, gesturing to the entrance of the hall. Morgana saw Frank go starry-eyed. Knowing Sirius was on Frank's other side and wouldn't have the sense to move, Morgana slid over to make room.

"Morning, dear!" Alice said, kissing Frank on the cheek. She had a kind, round face and twinkling eyes. "Oh, thanks!" she said, sitting between Morgana and Frank. "You don't mind?"

"No, not at all!" Morgana said, trying to get her mind off of the match.

"Alice Walker," she said, holding out her hand.

"Morgana le Fay," they shook hands.

"Ravenclaw today, eh?" Alice said, speaking to everyone. "Didn't they just get a new Chaser?"

"Craigson, yeah. I heard he wasn't very bright, no clue why he's in Ravenclaw..." by the time McKinnon and the rest of the Team had finished their rants about other players, it was time to head out to the pitch. They stood, waiting just off of the pitch. "All right, guys, listen up," everyone huddled around McKinnon. "We've practiced hard for this, we're ready. Tira, Jaq, James-" he faced the Chasers "-fly fast, you all can maneuver really well, you'll do fine. Frank, Sirius-" he turned to the Beaters "-what can I say? Frank, you've been playing forever, and Sirius, you don't seem a bit worried. You guys'll do fine! Morgana-" he turned towards his Seeker "-you're a fast flier, have our wits about you, and Frank and Sirius will try to aim Bludgers away from you- nothing to worry about. Just make sure if you get the Snitch, we're not down by 150 or 160 points or something, all right? That should be taken care of though. Now guys, lets go win us a game!" As he said that, the curtain between them and the pitch was raised and the crowd began to roar. They stepped out onto the pitch, side by side in a striaght line. McKinnon fell into step beside Morgana. "Still nervous? Don't be. The Seeker's always nervous. Don't think about the people or anything, just the Snitch." He stepped forward.

"Captains! Shake hands!" Madam Ruthers barked. McKinnon shook with the Ravenclaw captain who looked to be a Beater. "On my whistle! Three- two- one!" Fourteen players kicked off from the ground- the match had begun.

* * *

**A/N:** I believe that's the first time I've ever cut off with a slight cliffy. Keyword there being "slight". I'm hoping that the next chapter will be shorter, and I imagine it will be. Oh, and as long as this is the longest chapter, this'll be the longest note: 

Now, a special thanks to my dear, dear reviewers: **PadfootStripQuidditch** and **theaterChick1794**. I give a huge "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" to you both. Let it be known that dear **PadfootStripQuidditch** has reviewed twice. What a dear! Bless her!

I'd like to tell the story behind Connor Creevey's name. As you probably deduced, he's Colin and Dennis's dad. Well, around the time I wrote that chapter, my former substitute teacher passed away from a battle with cancer that he eventually lost- dear ol' Mr. D. Well, there's a guy in my class named Connor and he's... a more obnoxious and blond version of James Potter- except much, much less pleasant. The first day he subbed for us, he called Connor, Colin. Connor corrected him and Mr. D. memorably replied, "I know that you, moron! I'm not on your fan list, so I'm calling you Colin! You're rather annoying and overly blond!" I don't right know whether he was referring to Harry Potter, but I laughed the hardest at that comment. RIP Mr. D. Good man, funny man. You will be missed.

Also, I kept meaning to say this, but repeatedly forgot and told myself "Crap! Have to tell them next chapter!", well, thanks to a look into WikiHow and their tips on writing, I remembered:

If anyone's noticed, Morgana is a bit of a Mary-Sue, that is to say, she can be rather annoying and seems to be perfect. At least that's what I've been told by a friend who sneaked a peek, and that's a bit how I saw her. Two words: character development. All I'm saying.

Now, my dears, I'll leave you for the moment and go on to writing my next chapter but first-

Do you know how much time I devote to fanfiction? To the fic _'The True Marauders'_? Too much. I try to be as accurate as possible as well, which takes a bit of research. So please, take a tip from **PadfootStripQuidditch** and **theaterChick1794**, I spend hours writing, so please, spend minutes, _seconds_ reviewing. It doesn't take much out of your day, but it makes my week.

Cheers,

Dot


	10. Losses and Victories

**A/N:** I think the last note said it all. This chapter picks up where I last left off.

**Disclaimer:** _Somewhere over the rainbow, I own Potter, In an Alternate Universe, that's where my dreams come true... If JKR can own dear Harry, in the real world, then why oh why can't I?! _Yeah, I know, it's really bad... just trying to be creative.

**Warning:** Mild language. Although, I know I've said it, you probably have too. However, I don't want to get a "You didn't warn me!" in a far-in-the-future review, if I e'er get one.

**_Chapter 10- Losses and Victories_**

* * *

The crowd roared with excitement as the players from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw kicked off into the air. McKinnon sped off towards the Gryffindor goal posts while James, Jacqueline, and Tira sped off towards the Quaffle. Morgana flew up above the others, carefully watching the other Seeker, a sixth year boy named Gretterns, while trying to keep Bludgers in sight. Sirius circled below her, trying to keep Bludgers far from her and James. 

"First match of the season, mates! Don't you love the smell of Quidditch in the morning?" the commentator roared to the crowd. "Pat Oswald here, by the way. Just in case you were wondering my name. 5th year Gryffindor. On to business! Potter's got the Quaffle! He's a new one this year! Gryffindor had to replace three long-time members- Chaser, Beater, Seeker. Seems like McKinnon did very well with this pick! Man, that kid flies fast!" James had circled half the pitch with the Quaffle to avoid another player in record time.

"Get over there you moron!" Sirius roared as his friend zoomed past. James gave a loud whoop and flew towards the goal.

"He's almost there! I think he's gonna make it! He throws it! And... Gryffindor scores! Ten-nada, Gryffindor!" Half of the crowd below erupted into cheers. "First goal of the first match! Merlin, Potter can fly! And the Quaffle's passed to Craigson of Ravenclaw, also a new pick this year. Burly bloke, inn'e? That's the only replacement for Ravenclaw this year." Morgana continued to circle the pitch, still keeping Gretterns and the two Bludgers in sight. The sixth year was circling directly across from Morgana, watching her every move. She was trying to block out the roar of the crowd below her as goals were scored, Bludgers were hit, and Quaffles were dropped. After about twenty minutes with no sign of the Snitch, Morgana glanced down at the players, Sirius had just hit a Bludger away from James who continued to speed towards the goal, tossing the Quaffle back and forth between himself and Tira. Suddenly, Morgana saw it. A golden glint shimmering at the dead center of the pitch. She pulled into a dive, Gretterns followed, not missing a beat. She was no more than ten feet from the Snitch when a red and black streak came out of nowhere, zooming in front of her, knocking her off balance and into Gretterns, throwing him off course. There was a loud crack as Sirius hit a Bludger away from her, though it was quite unnecesary, it would have missed her by a mile. Sirius whipped around as Morgana untangled herself from the sixth year, regaining her composure.

"Proceed!" Sirius said, gesturing for her to carry on. She looked back, the Snitch was gone.

"Dammit Black! It's gone!" she roared, beginning to circle the pitch once more.

"It appears Sirius Black, new pick for Gryffindor and best friend of James Potter, just saved Morgana le Fay, and yet another new pick for Gryffindor, from being hit by a Bludger. She knocks over Gretterns and the Snitch has eluded them once more. Bad luck there!" Pat said loudly over the crowd. "Supposedly, they had a bit of a thing going on there for a while. Dunno 'bout that, people say a lotta things. Supposedly I had several hot dates with Rita Skeeter last year! Remember that, guys? Yeah, too bad Rita graduated the year before, otherwise I think we definitely had chemistry, don't you? Guys, get your facts straight before starting these loads of dung, all right? Really annoying. Anyway, Jacqueline Rorers with the Quaffle she's going towards the goal and heads over to Tira- BLOODY HELL! Yertherds comes out of nowhere and the Quaffle is now in Ravenclaw possession! Blimey! How'd that happen? Staying on topic from now on! Anyway, the Quaffle is passed over to..." Morgana tried to block out the comments by Pat Oswald, concentrating on finding the Snitch. Forty-five minutes into the match the score was 80-70, Gryffindor. Then, for the second time in the match, Morgana saw it- a small glimmer of gold, hovering close to the ground on the opposite side of the pitch. She and Gretterns looked at each other at the same time and lurched forward simultaneously. They were quickly closing the gap between Seeker and Snitch when the latter whizzed farther ahead and took a sharp right turn. Gretterns sped ahead a little, about two feet farther ahead than Morgana. Morgana pulled into a vertical dive, bearing down upon the tiny, golden ball. It flittered farther ahead still, Morgana pulled straight out, three feet from the ground. She heard a yelp and turned quickly to see Gretterns clutching his ankle, less than a foot from the ground. She flew as fast as she could, turning her attention back to the Snitch, which was whizzing forward still. Fifteen feet away... ten feet... eight... five... three...

"LE FAY CLOSES IN ON THE SNITCH AS GRETTERNS FALLS BACK! I THINK HE'S BROKE HIS ANKLE! SHE'S ALMOST THERE! AND MORGANA LE FAY CATCHES HER FIRST SNITCH DURING HER FIRST GAME! THE FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Morgana flew upward, clutching the Snitch in her right hand as Gryffindor supporters roared and applauded, Oswald still cheering loudly over the crowd. Next thing she knew, there were several sets of strong hands gripping her arms and leading her to fly over the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff stands. James and Sirius let go as she touched down on the ground. McKinnon jumped off of his broom.

"What did I tell you?! No need to be nervous!" he yelled at her, beaming. Suddenly, they all rose in the air- the Gryffindor spectators had lifted the Team above their heads and were carrying them back to the castle. The entire Team was set on the same table that James and Sirius had conducted the rest of the house from when they had made the Team. Butterbeers were passed to the front. Morgana took hers and hopped off the table, making her way over to where Chris, Ally, and Lily were waiting by the couch, grinning broadly at their friend.

"You did it!" Lily said in an I-told-you-do type of tone.

"I did it," Morgana agreed, smiling, the Snitch still clutched tightly in her hand. They all flopped down on the couch.

"To Morgana!" Chris said, raising her Butterbeer bottle.

"To the Team," Morgana said, clinking hers with the other three bottles. She looked at the clock- about 1:00. "So, McGonagall's essay-"

"Morgana, you just won a Quidditch game, your first game. Now is not the time for essays, homework, and the like. Now is the time for Butterbeer, friends, and merry-making," Lily shook her head. "Tonight, your priorities are completely opposite of normal."

"Oh, well if you insist..." Morgana replied, giving the impression that she really had no desire to work on the essay anyway.

"Star of the hour!" someone said behind them, Morgana hung her head back to see McKinnon grinning down at her, looking like an older brother who was very proud of his young sister's accomplishment.

"Hey, Matt!" the girls said in unison.

"Just stopped by to say nice job."

"You mad some great saves. I saw a few of them," Morgana said, as he walked around the couch to face them directly.

"Thanks. Managed to block all but seven of them. However, this isn't about me. First match, first win. We haven't won in eight years, we might be able to do it this year."

"One can only hope."

"Well, good job. We have the last match before holidays- November 1st."

"My birthday, won't forget."

"Imagine that. Well, I'm off," he got up and clapped his hand to Morgana's cheek briefly as he walked off.

"I like him... I like him a lot..." Chris said, dreamily watching the Keeper disappear.

"Hmm, nice guy," Morgana replied absentmindedly. She had taken to Matt McKinnon quite nicely, and he to her. He was very easy to get along with.

"Nice looking, nice acting, nice Quidditch playing... the man's got it all."

"Yeah, and two years on you."

"He's born August 31st- no I'm not stalking him, I just remember birthdays well-" Chris added when she saw the other three's looks of distress."I'm February 31st- he's a year and a half older." Morgana rolled her eyes while the other two shook their heads sadly.

"Lily, I love you! Lily I do! When we're apart my heart beats only for yooooouuuuu!" another voice sang obnoxiously from behind Lily.

"_Silencio_!" Morgana said aiming her wand at James Potter who stopped singing, though his mouth still moved as he made animated motions towards Lily. Morgana felt a slight weight on her head and looked up- Sirius Black.

"Morgana! How charming to see you! May I say that you look particularly lovely on this fine and joyous day!"

"Coming from you, that doesn't mean much."

"You played marvelously today," he turned to look at James who was still singing silently to Lily. Sirius undid the silencing charm.

"-and I still love you!" James finished, kneeling at the last few words. Lily rolled her eyes. "So, what say you, Evans? Will you go out with me?"

"Stop hexing Severus Snape."

"If I did that, would you go out with me?"

"No, but it wouldn't hurt!"

"I don't know what you see in him, Evans! He's a Dark Arts obsessed, greasy, vile piece of scum! A piece of dung!" Lily didn't say anything, but crossed her arms indignantly.

"Get out of here," Morgana growled at Sirius and James. "Go find some Marauder fans to snog senseless."

"It wasn't long ago that you were a Marauder fan... a Sirius Marauder fan..." Morgana's eyes flashed with heartbreaking emotion for a moment, remembering the heaven that had been her first few years at Hogwarts. But it was quickly replaced with a look of pure loathing that shocked Sirius as much as the first.

"Get- the- hell- out- of- here- before- I- hex- you!" she snarled, putting severe emphasis on each word and standing up to full height. The boys put their hands up innocently and walked off. She flopped back down, looking slightly more weary than before.

"Er... Ally, could I talk to you?" Chris said to her best friend. The two walked up to the girls' dormitories.

"What was that ab-"

"Here, Professor," McKinnon said behind them, cutting Lily off. They turned around, McGonagall stood next to the Quidditch captain.

"Thank you, Mr. McKinnon. Miss Evans, I would like to talk to you," she said immediatly to Lily.

"Oh, well... Would it be all right if Morgana came along, too?"

"I- well- she- oh all right! It's probably for the best!" The two girls got up and hurried after to the older witch. Morgana exchanged a glance with Lily. What was going on? They had to jog to keep up with the teacher's long strides, Morgana's scarlet robes billowing out behind her.

"Professor, may I ask what's going on?" Lily said, as they caught up with McGonagall.

"Professor Dumbledore shall inform you when we get to his office. May I say, excellent playing on your part in the match this morning, Miss le Fay."

"Thank you, ma'am," Morgana said quietly, exchanging a nervous glance with Lily. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

"Fizzing Whizbee," McGonagall said, as they came to the stone gargoyle. She motioned for the girls to proceed up the staircase while she followed behind, gesturing for Morgana to knock on the door.

"_Come in_," someone said from the other side of the large, heavy door as it swung open. Lily stepped into the room, Morgana followed her friend while McGonagall brought up the rear. "Ah, Miss Evans, I see you brought Miss le Fay, lovely, lovely. Minerva-" Morgana looked around the office briefly- it looked exactly the same as it had the previous year, when she and Sirius and come to find out that Morgana would not be able to return home for the Christmas holidays as previously planned. There were an assortment of odd, fragile looking, silver instruments sitting on a table, a phoenix sat majestically on an elaborate perch behind the large desk where a man with a silver beard with hair to match sat, wearing dark, midnight blue robes with a hat of the same color, his blue eyes bearing into the girl's over half-moon spectacles. However, his eyes did not harbor the same mischievous twinkle as they usually did.

"Did you receive word yet?" McGonagall said anxiously.

"Alas, not yet, but I expect an update within the next few minutes. Sit, sit," he addressed the girls, flicking his wand, making the chairs in front of his desk slid out. Morgana and Lily took a seat. "Professor McGonagall?" he said, conjuring another chair.

"That's quite all right, Albus."

"Very well," he said. He put the tips of his fingers together and continued to survey the girls, something clouding his eyes. They sat for several minutes in deafening silence. "You played well today during the match, Miss le Fay."

"Thank you, sir," Morgana said, dipping her head slightly in respect. He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. They continued to sit in silence until-

_Crack._

A small flame burst into the air, leaving a single piece of parchment floating down above the Headmaster's head. He caught it and nodded slowly, showing no emotion. "Alas, it is... as I thought."

"Albus?" McGonagall said from behind the girls. He continued on.

"Ladies, you are most likely wondering why you are here. This will start out, as most conversations of this manner tend to: Miss Evans, I have the most unfortunate task of telling you that a tragic event has occurred." Lily's eyes widened. "Last night, your parents fell asleep and a candle was still burning in the living room after they went to bed. By some form of unfortunate luck, the cat knocked the candle over, setting the plant next to it on fire, which in turn, caught to the table- within minutes the downstairs was engulfed in flames."

"How are they? Where are they? Is everyone all right?" There was a dull sadness in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. Your father perished." Lily stood up, her voice cracking as well as getting significantly louder.

"What about Tuney? Where's Mum? What happened to them?"

"Petunia was, fortunately, at a friend's house for a birthday party. And your mother is currently living." That didn't sound good- "currently", for now. Morgana looked over at Lily. Her friend was shaking and her hands were clenched in fists at her side.

"Where are they? I need to talk to them!"

"Your sister is at the friend's residence whilst your mother is being cared for at St. Mungo's."

"When can I see them?"

"We are expecting another message, as soon as it arrives, you may use the Floo Network to reach St. Mungo's."

"When!?"

"I- I don't know." Lily stood there for a moment, opening and closing her mouth. She suddenly fell back into her chair and sobbed weakly. Morgana, not missing a beat, walked over behind her friend and crouched beside her, putting her arms around the younger girl who began to sob into her friend's shoulder.

"Shhh, shhh..." Morgana said, rubbing her hand up and down her friend's back, rocking back and forth. After a few minutes, Morgana switched positions so that she was kneeling next to Lily, because she was losing feeling in her feet. McGonagall put a hand on Lily's shoulder and looked as though she didn't quite know what to do. Dumbledore sat there, looking down at his hands like a child who had done wrong. After another several minutes, there was a crack and a burst of flame for the second time that day. Dumbledore caught the parchment once again as he stood up.

"Miss Evans, Miss le Fay, Professor McGonagall is going to escort you to the room in which Mrs. Evans is staying."

"Is Petunia there?" Lily said, looking up from her friend's shoulder and sounding as though she had a very bad head cold.

"I'm afraid not. She refused to come when we sent word saying that she felt- ah- less than welcome in our world. Even so, it is advised that your mother stay at St. Mungo's, she could be provided no better care possible." Lily nodded.

"All right, ladies, come on," McGonagall said in what must have been her version of a matronly voice. She escorted them to the large fireplace and ducked in, beckoning for the other two to follow. She put a hand on their shoulders, Morgana grasped Lily's hand as she was offered a small jar of emerald green powder. She took a handful and said quite firmly,

"St. Mungo's Hospital Lobby!" she threw down the powder and was soon spinning around, the office disappearing and being replaced with a large white room, bustling with people. McGonagall made her way to the front desk, pulling the two girls with her through the dense crowd.

"How may I help you?" a witch behind the counter said.

"Yes, which room is Mrs. Melaney Evans being treated in?"

"Fire victim? Yes, she was hard to place. She's in a private room on the first floor- 142."

"Thank you." The girls followed McGonagall to the staircase, down a long hallway. "136... 138... 140... Here-" she pointed to a white door, just as the rest of them were, with gold numbering in the middle. The older witch led them through the door where there was a single bed, next to a single window, with a single mass of white bandages laying on it.

"Can I help you?" a Healer in lime-green robes said as they entered.

"This is Mrs. Evans daughter, Lily, and Lily's friend, Morgana. How is she doing?"

"Well, we've done all we can do, magic can only help so much-" Morgana turned as she noticed Lily's absence from her side. The red-headed girl was walking slowly over to the bed at the end of the room, her mouth covered with her hands in horror. She reached the bed and sat down in one of the chairs next to it, staring at the mass of bandages which was her mother. Morgana heard her friend sniff loudly and she quietly walked up behind her.

"Mummy... mum... come on, mum..." she whispered, gently grasping her mother's bandaged hand. Her face was slightly burned and blackened still in some areas, her neck was exposed and raw looking. It appeared as though her eyebrows and eyelashes had been burned away and that her hair had caught fire during the blaze, for most of it was gone on one side of her head. She must have been very pretty before the fire. She had a slender face, with almond-shaped eyes, a small, gentle mouth, and the same small nose as Lily- in fact she looked quite a bit like Lily, but with bonde hair that was now charred. Morgana put a hand on each of Lily's shoulders. "I've lost my dad, my sister hates me... Ana, I can't lose Mum! She's my only family left!" her voice cracked with restrained sobs. Morgana squeezed her friend's shoulders reassuringly.

"Don't forget Lils, we may not be blood relatives, but you'll never be alone..." Morgana said quietly, staring at Mrs. Evans. "There's Ally and Chris, Remus is a good guy, Severus is your friend, Peter's odd enough, but he's not so bad and even Potter and Black could probably straighten up a bit for a moment and be there for you. And hey! I'm here too. You know we're here, right?" Lily nodded through her tears, her green eyes now puffy and pink. "I know that we can't take the place of a mum or dad or something, but we won't let you down, Lils." Lily nodded again.

"Miss le Fay? A word, if you don't mind?"

"Coming Professor! Be right back..." she added to Lily who continued to sit and hold her mother's bandaged hand.

"Morgana," McGonagall said quietly, steering her student out of the room. It was the first time Morgana could remember the teacher ever using just her first name. "We need to get Lily out of here by 4:00, all right? She has just under an hour."

"That's all? It was 1:30 when we got to Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Do not forget the change in time, Morgana. We spent over a half hour in the office as well. Now listen, her mother is getting another bout of treatment at 4:00. I'd rather she not witness it. I would appreciate it if you were able to persuade her to leave at that time. She'll probably resist me, but she might not resist you... as much."

"Yes, Professsor." McGonagall nodded and nudged Morgana back into the room where her friend was now hugging her knees in her chair. "Hey, Lils, wanna go get some tea or something?" Morgana hoped that if she could get her friend away for several minutes, she might see that it was okay to leave her mum for the rest of the day.

"I'm okay. You can if you want."

"I'm only going if you go." Lily sighed.

"All right, but just for a minute. I suppose I am a bit hungry." They walked up to the tea room. When they finished, it was 3:27- they killed twenty minutes of time.

"Morgana?"

"Yeah?"

"What did McGonagall say to you before?"

"Well... see Lils, we're supposed to be back by 4:00."

"Why?"

"Don't right know," Morgana lied as they made their way back to room 142.

"Do you think she'll make it?"

"Frankly, Lils? I..."

"Well, I don't think she will. I want her to, but I... I-I don't want her to. She's suffering too much. Imagine if she makes it?! All the pan she'll still have to go through! Plus, I suspect Dad's lonely..." her voice trailed off. Morgana put her hand on Lily's arm. "Why me? Why my family? Ya know? That's just kinda how I feel!" her voice began to crack and became higher as she tried to keep her words as casual as possible.

"Nobody wants it to be their family. And I suppose, anyone that has something happen to them says that. If it came true, it would just be a vicious cycle wouldn't it." Lily nodded, but looked as though she didn't quite understand. Truthfully, Morgana really didn't know what she just said either. She tried again. "It would be like a... life and death game of hot potato..." Lily looked over at her friend who was deep in thought, her brow furrowed. "Yeah... life and death hot potato... What?"

"Hot potato?" Lily said, smiling a bit.

"Yes. Death by potatoes," Morgana said simply.

"All right then. Deadly Hot Potato... Sounds like something Potter and Black would play-"

"I hope your not taking tips from them, I expect far better from you," McGonagall said, making the girls jump about a foot.

"Deadly Hot Potato? Oh, Merlin, no!" Morgana exclaimed, her eyes wide. Something seemed to click with McGonagall.

"Well, if I see or hear anything about this... Fatal Potato, I'll be coming to Gryffindor Tower first!"

"Of course, Professor." The girls walked into the room, Morgana could've sworn McGonagall gave her the smallest wink.

**OxO**

"Hey, Sirius! You see Morgana or Lily lately?" Chris said, walking up to Sirius as the Quidditch party died down. Ally walked up behind her.

"Evans and le Fay? Haven't see them since... well, since the party started. I saw them leave with McGonagall, aren't they back yet?" he sounded a little concerned.

"If they were would I be here?" Chris said, looking annoyed. She could see he was slightly drunk.

"Library? Classrooms? Great Hall? Outside?"

"Check. Check. Check. And double check."

"How long have they been gone?"

"Last anyone else saw of them was at about 1:20." Sirius looked at the clock- 4:12.

"Where d'you think..."

"Well, Ally and I are going to wait outside in the corridor. Come out and tell us if you hear anything, okay?"

"Wha- oh, yeah. Sure." The two girls headed out of the Common Room. Times were getting darker. It was unlike Morgana or Lily to not tell someone where they'd be for hours on end. Sirius chewed on his bottom lip for a moment and turned to head up to the boys' dormitories to tell the others what was going on.

**OxO**

"Lils? Lily? It's time to go," Morgana said softly to her friend. The red-head looked up at the clock- 4:02. She sniffed.

"Right. Bye mum. See you later," she bent over and kissed her mother's burnt cheek and straightened up, but didn't move.

"Come on Lils."

"I don't want to go." Morgana barely heard what she said, but knew he wasn't mistaking a word.

"I know, Lils, but you can come back again. No one's gonna stop you. By God, if they try to I'll take care of the matter personally myself." The corners of Lily's mouth twitched slightly.

"I believe you. I guess we'd better go." They went out into the hall where Professor McGonagall was standing by the way, reading a note and shaking her head.

"Why? What is the... Merlin, no! Unbelievable! Tactless! The bastards..." McGonagall muttered, clearly outraged.

"Professor?" Morgana said, hesitant. "Um, we're ready to go back whenever you are."

"As appealing as that sounds, dear, I'm afraid we'll have to make... a side trip," there was a clear note of disgust in her voice as she looked back at the parchment. The girls raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Evans, this will be extremely hard for you, I'm sure... but... they need you to... to... identify your father."

"But it's him?" Lily said, a slight note of hope in her voice. Maybe her father was still alive.

"I'm afraid it's a technicality. Strictly for legal purposes." Morgana saw tears stream from her friend's eyes. It must have been like losing her father all over again.

"Well, I'll have to do it, won't I?"

"I'm afraid so," McGonagall sounded dull with pity, she held out her hands. Morgana and Lily stood in front of her as she firmly gripped their shoulders. "Hold on." They did as they were told and suddenly felt as though all the air was stripped from the room. Morgana was dying, being smothered. There was no air. The room faded from sight. She couldn't move. And suddenly, it lifted. She breathed in mouthfuls of air, and heard Lily doing the same next to her. Morgana's eyes adjusted to the dim light. They were standing in a dingy alleyway, it smelled of urine and stale drink. McGonagall scrunched her nose and walked out towards the street. "Filthy!" she muttered. Morgana and Lily followed. The professor led them to a gray, one-level building on the other side of the street. McGonagall opened the door and began to speak in a low whisper to the woman behind the counter who eyed the group- must have been the clothes.

It smelled like a hospital and had the same atmosphere, everything was either metal or painted grey or white. McGonagall began to walk away, beckoning for the other two to follow. They walked down a cold, dimly lit hall, their shoes thudding on the marble floor. Lily pressed herself close to Morgana, who didn't mind, it was so bloody cold! They walked until they met a man standing in front of a large, metal door.

"Evans?" McGonagall nodded, nudging Lily forward, apparently McGonagall was staying behind. Morgana was about to take a step back, but Lily gave her a small tug and she went in after her.

The cold in the hallway was nothing compared to the cold in the room. Morgana had never been in a morgue before, and she didn't know what to expect. There were several lumpy shapes covered in white sheets, the feet of the bodies sticking out with a tag on the big toe.

"Are you afraid?" the man said. He was tall, and somewhat handsome with wavy, black hair and hazel eyes. He must have had a constant five-o'-clock shadow. Morgana could imagine Chris swooning on the spot.

"There's nothing to fear from a body, or from death itself," Morgana said, still staring at the body closest to her- a blonde-haired woman. She must have been fairly young, Morgana couldn't really tell because of the sheet covering her face, but she did have long nails painted bright pink. She looked away for a moment at the man, who continued to stare at the girls, mostly at Morgana, there was slight interest in his eyes.

"Lily Evans?" Morgana shook her head, Lily stepped forward. The man smiled. "Lily, I want you to picture your father very clearly. His eyes, his nose, mouth.. cheeks... skin... his hair. Do you see him?" Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding. The man pulled back the sheet, Morgana covered her mouth with her hand. She might have found it less disturbing if he was burned as his wife was. Mr. Evans auburn hair was not charred, his skin still the natural color, he still had eyebrows and eyelashes, in fact, he looked as he always did. He could have been asleep.

"That's him," Lily said softly, before rushing to the wastebasket and vomiting. The coroner replaced the sheet and walked over to Lily, Morgana at his heels.

"You are-?" he asked Morgana, both bent down to help Lily.

"Morgana, I'm her friend."

"Why couldn't Petunia do this?" Lily sobbed, looking very pale.

"Lily, if you don't mind me saying, your sister's rather useless and isn't very fond of... your school and the people you hang around with," Morgana said, rubbing Lily's back up and down. The coroner raised an eyebrow. "Her sister isn't fond of... the Catholics..." Morgana said, thinking up a quick lie. The man made and "o" with his mouth. Lily gave a hiccup, which, at this point, was probably her version of a laugh. After some persistant persuasion, the coroner and Morgana managed to get Lily into the hallway where McGonagall rushed forward.

"Is there a back door we could use Doctor-?"

"Yes, there is. Take this door-" he pointed to a door several feet down the hall. "-use the door on the right and go down the stairs. We're built on a hill. That'll take you to the basement parking lot."

"Thank you," the teacher said, turning to leave.

"Ma'am. Ma'am! You still have paperwork to fill out!" the girl at the desk said, waving a folder in the air. McGonagall rushed forward, snatched the papers and filled them out at a rapid pace. Thirty minutes later, there were eleven piece of paper sitting in front of the girl. "Thank you, I'm sorry for your loss." McGonagall went back to the girls and walked them out to the back lot.

"Are you all right, Lily?" she said once they reached fresh air. She gave a odd motion between a nod and a head shake. "Hold on." The three prepared once more for Side-Along Apparition. Soon, they were outside the Hogwarts gates, gasping for air. McGonagall shot something silvery out of her wand and it whizzed up to the castle.

"Was that a Patronus?"

"Yes, Miss le Fay." Someone came out to the rounds of the castle. It was a short, plump man.

"Ah! Miss le Fay, Miss Evans! Minerva!" Slughorn said, bouncing up and down. "Albus told me to fetch you- Is something wrong m'dear?" he added, seeing Lily's blotchy, tear-stained face.

"I'll explain later, Horace. Right now, I think Miss Evans needs to go to the Hospital Wing."

"No, I'm going to the Common Room," Lily said, sounding surprisingly strong.

"My dear, you are-"

"Crying? Grieving? In a fragile state? I need to go to the Common Room."

"All right, but I would wish you to visit Madam Pomfrey tomorrow morning, and you are excused from classes on Monday through Wednesday."

"Very well."

"Miss le Fay? If I could have another word?" Morgana hung back with McGonagall a moment. "I'm excusing you from classes tomorrow and Tuesday as well. You did know Mr. and Mrs. Evans, correct?"

"Not well, but they were good people."

"Wednesday, I would like Miss Evans to spend by herself. She may need the time to straighten things out."

"Yes, Professor."

"Also, I will have Miss Etherson take care of your homework for you, if you wish."

"Yes, Professor."

"Very good. Now, you'd best catch up with her, she's almost to the castle." Indeed, Lily was far ahead of them, Morgana ran to catch up. She walked with her friend in silence, slowly trudging up the steps to Gryffindor Tower. The Quidditch match seemed so long ago, even though Morgana was still wearing her robes. She knew it was late and that they had spent well over an hour in the morgue. She just wanted to sink into her bed. She knew that neither her or her friend could fully comprehend what had happened. Morgana knew it would hit them tomorrow though. Full force.

_'Life's a bitch,'_ Morgana thought bitterly. Finally, the headed up the last staircase, heads down, weary with exhaustion. One, two, skip the trick step... five more steps... There was suddenly a clatter of feet hitting the floor at a run and Morgana felt a strong pair of arms around her.

"Bloody been gone for six hours and twenty-one minutes! Couldn't tell us what was going on?" the person said. Suddenly, Morgana's grief and exhaustion got the better of her and she collapsed, sobbing in the boy's arms. She felt them go rigid for a moment, and then he sat down on the landing, cradling her by rocking back and forth. After several minutes the boys spoke. "Shhh, shhh... Hey, I hate to tell you this, and you'll probably cry more, but you're sobbing into Sirius Black's robes right now."

"I don't c-care!" Morgana exclaimed, he pulled her tighter and she put her arms around him, hugging him. She could hear the others crowding around Lily, as she wailed with grief.

"Shhh... shhh... it's all right... I've gotcha... I've gotcha... you're all right... Morgana... Morgana, whenever you can, just tell me, _if_ you can, what happened." She controlled her breathing a bit, and talked into Sirius' chest.

"There was a fire... Mr. and Mrs. Evans... Mrs. Evans is in St. Mungo's... Mr. Evans... he's... he's... gone... and Petunia's safe... but they don't know if Mrs. Evans is going to wake up, let alone live..." she broke off, enjoying the comfort of being curled in Sirius' lap as he rocked her left and right very gently.

"It's all right... you're safe now... I've got you... I'm not leaving you, love," he ran his fingers through her hair, eventually, her sobs died down and she shook, weak, her energy spent. His tone was so gentle, as was his touch, Morgana almost forgot she was supposed to be mad at him. Right now, she didn't really care. She wiped her eyes and lifted her face to look at him. His chin was resting on her head as he hummed tunelessly. "Better now?" he looked down at her, a tender expression on his face.

"A bit. Sirius, it was so horrible... Mrs. Evans-"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh! Don't think about it, love. Just relax, I'm here as long as you need. I won't even tease you or mention going out with me... well, except what I said there." She hiccupped and hugged him tighter and turned a bit to look at Lily, but couldn't see her. "James and Remus and Peter and Ally and Chris have her, she's fine. You just worry about you now." Morgana didn't complain. She buried her face in his robes once more, they were damp with tears, but soft against his hard, warm chest. The rhythm of his beating heart and rocking back and forth soothed her. She breathed in his warm, comforting scent. She still shook a bit and her neck ached. Both her and Sirius slowly fell into a doze, Sirius softly talking to her, not really saying anything meaningful, just making noise. The others were crowded around Lily, talking to her.

"Maybe you should go see her," Morgana said.

"I'll talk to her later, she's got plenty of company. Besides, if I leave, who's gonna look after you?" he flashed her his trademark smile, which she had built up an immunity to long ago. She forced a smile back and rested her head on the chest of his robes.

**OxO**

Morgana woke up the next morning, rays from the sunrise pouring in through one of the windows of the dormitory. She lifted her head only to find that she was not alone, or in her dormitory. She was wrapped in the blankets of the bed, still curled in Sirius' arms while he slept, leaning against a few pillows propped up against the head board. In the bed next to her was Lily, sprawled out, her hand extended and pointing towards a boy with messy black hair, quietly snoring in an armchair that had been dragged next to the bed. Morgana turned her head towards the back of the dorm- there was Remus, arms crossed and sitting up against his head board like Sirius. Next to him was a large lump in the sheets in the next bed- Peter. She turned back and looked at the boy who was holding her, just as he had last night. His head was lolling off to the side, probably fell asleep resting his head on Morgana's. Maybe he had been talking to her or humming again. His dark, shaggy hair fell into his closed eyes. Morgana pressed herself a little closer, still very tired. She felt a hand come up to her face, a thumb stroke her cheek softly. Sirius sighed heavily and fidgeted a bit as Morgana fell back to sleep in a moment.

**OxO**

"Morning," Sirius said, looking down at Morgana.

"Your breath is horrible," she moaned, rubbing her eyes.

"If you weren't in a fragile state at the moment, I would hex you for that."

"Sirius Orion Black, I am not in a fragile state!" she growled, looking up at him with as much defiance as she could muster. He grinned.

"Much better. See, was that so hard?"

"Please, just... don't be yourself for one more day, I'm not really in the mood," she groaned.

"'Kay, I'll try. Just because you said the magic word."

"Much better. See, was that so hard?"

"Please, I invented that line!"

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in classes?"

"I'm skipping today, at least the morning classes. I don't know if I'll take off all day. Remus is with Lily, James and Peter went with Chris and Ally to classes. We figured, as long as the responsible one is with you two against me, nothing bad should happen. And Chris and Ally'll take care of James and Peter for today."

"Where are Lily and Remus?"

"Common Room."

"You could have woken me up, you know."

"Oh, but your so peaceful and not cursing my existence when you sleep!"

"I curse your existence, you just don't hear me."

"Ah." There was a long pause. "Rather cuddly last night, weren't you?" he said slyly.

"If you say anything-"

"Relax, I understand. Sometimes you have to rely on a complete git for comfort. Look at Lily, you could've been worse. She got James trying to calm her down."

"How is she?"

"Well, I can't really say I've seen her worse, but I suppose it could've been. She's not crying anymore, I think that's the worst part."

"When did she go down?"

"A few minutes ago. Remus said to give him some time to talk to her, so you're stuck up here with me for a while." She nodded and rested her head on his chest again.

"You carried me up here?"

"Damn right I did! Wasn't going to wake you up or let you sleep in the Common Room."

"That was very... chivalrous... of you. Thank you." He went rigid for a moment, at a loss for words.

"Oh, er... no problem. James did it for Lily. Git has the biggest crush in the world on her."

"So I've noticed."

"It's not like it was hard to carry you up here. You're rather light." She looked at the calendar on the wall, it was unchanged from yesterday, reading "Sun. September 18th." Today however was Monday.

"Happy Birthday," she said, he beamed down at her.

"You're the first one to say that!" She looked down at the end of his bed, there was a decent pile of presents.

"Gonna open them?" His eyes lit up, following her gaze to the foot of the bed. Quite unnecessarily, he picked her up and carried her to the end of the bed, setting her on the quilt while he jumped on the other side. He grabbed the first present and tore it open.

"Well, who's it from?"

"Oh, right... er... Peter- nice," he gazed at a small box which was apparently full of prank items. "There tiny though."

"Don't you remember anything? Engorgio! Duh!"

"Oh, right! That's actually really clever. This one's from Remus-" Sirius tore into his presents, hardly spending a minute on any one of them. Finally, he reached the last one which was wrapped in in red and gold.

"From me," Morgana said, he gave her a wide grin and tore off the paper. There was a small Gryffindor banner ("You should use Engorgio on it, make it five times bigger!") and a book entitled "Pranks, Jinxes, & Counterjinxes."

"Just had to get me a book!" he said, laughing slightly.

"Well, I checked all of them, it's not like the counter for Levicorpus in that one book of James', they're all accounted for."

"Thanks a load, Morgana."

"You're welcome."

"I... er... actually didn't think you'd give me a present this year."

"You git. I may not be overly fond of you, but I'm not overlooking birthdays or something."

"Good thing, too. I haven't got a present from my parents since I was eight." She gave him a sympathetic look. "I don't want your pity!" he said, he noticed there was a hard note in his voice that he didn't intend to be there. Morgana looked down at her hands. "Come on, come on! Enough dawdling! Best go see Lily!" he picked her up once again and carried her to the door and she fought against him.

"Put me down!" she yelled while she laughed, as he swung her over his shoulder, she pounded on his lower back, her legs flailing madly in the air.

"Punch over to the left if you're gonna do that! I slept weird." She complied and began beating more towards the center of his back. "Much better..." he groaned, stretching his back slightly. "Bloody knot...mmm... thanks!" He set her down and then did something very unexpected: He wrapped Morgana in a tight, warm embrace. "Bloody love you, mate," he ruffled her hair and held her for a moment longer, pressing his mouth to the top of her head. He broke away and nudged her towards the door. "Lily'll be waiting." Morgana put her hand on his chest for a moment, her brow furrowed, and then walked out the door. He stood there, trying to comprehend what he had just done and then followed her out.

* * *

**A/N:** In the words of Professor Severus Snape "I may vomit." Okay, I won't but I just loved that line. Great movie. In my head, that line is just being repeated over and over again. Loved that scene. 

All right, I owe **PadfootStripQuidditch** another huge THANK YOU and also another to **Darling-Angel-Puff**, who both bothered review. I would also like to say thank you to those who read my story, I now have **402 **hits! Whoop Whoop! So, my stats are as follows:

402 Hits

5 Reviews

6 Faves

3 Alerts

Bless you all!

I would also like you to know that the scenes with the coroner... I watch CSI and everything but I had to wing it there. I hope I did all right.

Also, I am happy to say that this chapter is exactly 1,000 words shorter than the last chapter. Slightly easier on you and me.

So now, I leave you anxiously awaiting Chapter 11. At present, I have hardly anything planned out for that chapter, that's the first time in this series. Off to brainstorm and write!

Cheers,

Dot


	11. Excuses

**A/N: **Some time has passed in the chapter world that is this fic.

**Warning:** Swearing. Don't say I didn't warn you. Also, this warning is to carry on to the next chapters unless I say otherwise. I will not be saying the "o" word anytime soon.

**Disclaimer:** I own not Harry Potter or the Beatles.

* * *

__

"Night, Sev."

"G'night."

"See you tomorrow," Snape said, returning each of the girls' hugs. Lily and Morgana were off to bed for the night. The latter gave Snape a look of utmost disgust and loathing before quickly and reluctantly embracing him. The two were still keeping the promise of leading Lily to think that they were friends. Both were amazed they went through it this long. There was a month left to the end of term and Lily seemed utterly convinced that they enjoyed, or at least tolerated, each other. Lily gave Snape one last smile and turned to walk away, behind her back Morgana stuck out her tongue and made a rude hand gesture while Snape threw her an extremely dirty look.

"It's so nice to see you two getting along."

"Oh, yeah! I guess you were right Lils, he really isn't that bad." Lily smiled. "He's worse," her friend muttered, barely audible. _'Ooh, the things I do for you! You owe me big time!' _Morgana thought bitterly.

"I get to go to St. Mungo's tomorrow. They still don't know when Mum's gonna wake up. They said she couldn't heal much more, now it's just a matter of time and the damage done." Morgana shook her head as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. "Haven't seen or heard from Petunia since Dad's funeral. I don't think she'll ever visit Mum."

"May I say, Lils, your sister is a horrible, cruel, cold-hearted, stubborn, prejudiced hag."

"You may," Lily said coldly. "I realize she was bitter from not being able to come here, but still. Mum's in the hospital, I realize she doesn't like magic to say the least, but she could go see her! I have no pity for the horrible, cruel, cold-hearted, stubborn, prejudiced hag."

"Don't blame you." They finished the journey in silence.

"Damnation- bit of a dark turn?" Lily said to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Dark times, dark password. It's changing tomorrow though, I'm thinking of something a bit sunnier."

"One day the world's at war and the password's 'damnation', the next it's sunny and everything's fine and the password's 'daffodil'!" Morgana said as she rolled her eyes at the painted woman as she and Lily clambered into the dimly lit Common Room, side by side. Suddenly, she was pulled to the side as something worked its way into her mouth, she pulled back, spitting and gagging.

"POTTER! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Morgana yelled, glaring at her attacker who looked positively horrified and disgusted, his arms still wrapped around Morgana.

"Sirius, mate! I got yours!"

"Bloody hell! It's Evans! I thought le Fay was on the left!" Sirius shrieked after pulling himself away from Lily, staring at the red-haired girl in front of him with the same expression that James was giving Morgana. He clapped his hand to his mouth, rubbing his tongue on his palm.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Lily said, spitting on the carpet and wiping her mouth. She exchanged a look with Morgana who flicked her head in understanding.

"Scourgify!" they shouted at the boys. Immediately, soap bubbles spewed from their mouths, but they quickly uttered the counter curse between mouthfuls. The girls next hit them with the bat-bogey hex and ran for it.

"Bloody hell! I need to brush my teeth, wash my mouth, and then incinerate my skull!" Morgana said, rummaging for her toothbrush in her bag, being careful not to swallow.

"I really think I'm going to vomit."

"_Potter_ bloody snogged me!"

"_Black_ bloody snogged _me_!"

"Their plan back-fired. I think I was supposed to get Black and you get Potter."

"Oh, well I feel much better now!" Lily said, sarcastically, rushing into the bathroom with toothpaste and a toothbrush. Morgana followed, mouth open, looking as though she had just ingested something positively revolting. Several minutes and a tube of toothpaste later, the girls flopped down on their beds as Chris and Ally came in.

"Do you know what happened with Sirius and James?" Ally asked. "They're both downstairs looking rather sick, well aside from the fact they've got great bogeys flapping on their faces."

"Serves them right..." Morgana said darkly, tossing the empty toothpaste tube in the waste basket.

"What happened?"

"They tried to prank us, it back fired, downstairs you see the fruits- probably not the best word to use there- of our wrath," Lily said simply.

**OxO**

"Come on, Evans! Go out with me," James said, one day.

"No."

"What about you, dear? le Fay and Black- has a nice ring to it!" Sirius said, putting an arm around Morgana

"Really? Because I'm hearing an egotistical prat adding my name with his- sounds like a Mandrake to me." Sirius pouted at Morgana's comeback.

"You're mean."

"I'm me."

"Go out with me, Evans! I don't bite... unless you want me to..."

"Potter, that's the oldest, most disgusting, and definitely the most pathetic line in the book."

"I think I'm gonna cry." At that exact moment, all four of them sank into the trick step.

"Dammit you two! Now we're going to be late!" Morgana exclaimed, part of her left leg in the stair. She tried to pull herself out, but was unsuccessful.

"How is this our fault?"

"If you two hadn't been annoying gits, someone probably would've realized what step we were on an have said 'Hey, trick step!' or something. Or at least someone would have been able to help get the others out."

"Great, everyone'll be in class in a minute, no one'll be able to help us out, and Morgana and I'll be stuck here with you two for an hour!" The boys' faces brightened.

"Evans, go out with me."

"No."

"Evans, go out with me."

"No."

"Evans, go out with me."

"No."

"Evans, go out with me."

"No." The four of them twisted so that hey could sit on the next step. James continued to bother Lily who kept repeating "No" over and over while taking out a book and opening it. Morgana looked in her bag. Transfiguration was the last class of the day, that's where they had been headed and that was the only book in her bag.

"So, le Fay, how's life?" Sirius asked Morgana, leaning back on his elbows and shaking the hair out of his eyes.

"It was great until I had a moron follow me around. Then he wouldn't stop pestering me and now I'm stuck in a trick step, sitting next to him."

"Gee, that sucks," he paused. "McKinnon fancies you."

"You're delusional."

"Remus does too."

"Extremely delusional."

"Go out with me."

"Why should I go out with you if I have the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and a nice, smart, caring guy within reach?"

"Because I'm prettier. And who says Remus is nice, smart, caring, or a guy?"

"Let's talk about you."

"That's my girl! Yes, let's talk about the marvelous Sirius Black! How about how handsome he is-"

"I was figuring more along the lines of _your_ personal life."

"Wanna be in it?"

"Hell no. How many girls have you snogged since I last snogged you?" she asked in a low voice.

"Several more than a few. What about you?"

"Other than that prank that went awry with you and Potter where I ended up being forcefully snogged by the latter? Several less than none."

"Really?" he sounded impressed.

"Yes." An awkward silence followed this, lasting about fifteen minutes.

"I didn't mean to snog her you know. She snogged me." Morgana said nothing. "I really... I didn't even meet her before then! She just... started eating my face."

"Excuses, excuses, excuses... Maybe I blew it a bit out of proportion-"

"Damn right you did-"

"-but the next week you were snogging girls by your own choice. You didn't even say anything to me about it until about eight girls later."

"I was afraid you'd curse me to death!"

"Well, if you had, you would've been remembered by me as more than an annoying, egotistical, man-whore."

"Man-whore?"

"Mmm, hmmm."

"What would I have been remembered as?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes, I would."

"Maybe if you weren't an annoying, egotistical, man-whore you would find out."

"Hmm, I doubt it."

"Believe whatever you like, doubt whatever you wish, trust in nothing you don't."

"Who said that?"

"Me."

"I didn't understand it, so I figured someone else said it."

"Who says I understand it?!"

"Evans, go out with me."

"No, Potter."

"Evans, go out with me."

"No."

"Jamesie, she's not going to say 'yes,' anytime soon."

"Remus has to find us soon, right?" Morgana asked no one in particular.

"Remus hasn't been sighted by any of the natives since yesterday after classes."

"Again?"

"Mmm, hmmm." Morgana racked her brain, thinking. Why would he need to be gone that often? How sick was his mother? "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Sirius said, staring at Morgana.

"Squishing your head with an overgrown niffler."

"Sounds lovely."

"Oi! What do you think yer doin'?" Sirius stood up, twisting to see who was there and was answered by a pop in his leg.

"Mr.- ARGH!"

"We're stuck!" Lily said quickly, carefully turning to see their rescuer.

"A likely story!"

"Look at our bloody feet! We can't get out!" Morgana said furiously, gesturing madly at her left leg, Lily and Sirius' right legs, and both of James' legs. The old man's jowls quivered, wondering what he should do.

"Well give us a hand!" Sirius said, rubbing his knee. The caretaker hesitated a moment and then pulled at Sirius' arm, after a few moments, he was free. Next, Sirius went to help Morgana as Filch stepped back, utterly useless. "Can you two help? I can't get him out," Sirius said as Morgana pulled Lily out of the step. Both of James' legs were stuck. About five minutes later, everyone was standing on a normal step. Filch's beady eyes darted from one face to face.

"May we go to class now?" Lily said, adjusting her bag.

"No, oh no... Who shall I go to... the Headmaster or your Head of House?" Morgana gave him a "What the hell" look, only Sirius spoke up.

"Well, seeing as Professor McGonagall's in class, which is where we're supposed to be, it might not be a good idea. Of course, then you could publicly humiliate us in front of our peers," Morgana switched the look from Filch to Sirius. "If you take us to Dumbledore, true, he's not teaching or anything, but that's rather high up for such a petty... offense. So really, mate, it has its pros and cons any way you look at it." Now everyone was looking at Sirius with the same look Morgana was giving him. He just stared at Filch, bopping his head side to side, biting the inside of his mouth and looking quite odd with his eyebrows raised.

"I... You're... You should... I'm in charge here! I'll decide!" Filch said loudly, beady eyes zipping back and forth, right to left.

"Wanna decide a little faster?" James said after a minute.

"What are your names!" he exclaimed, obviously trying to buy himself time and whipping out a muggle pencil and paper.

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Remus Lupin."

"Morgana le Fay..."

"Lily Evans..." The girls exchanged glances. What were the other two playing at?

"Pettigrew, Lupin, Fay-"

"That's _le_ Fay you git!"

"Can it, Pettigrew! I've- hang on. BLACK!" Filch shouted.

"Black? As in the color or Sirius?" Sirius said innocently. James sniggered behind the caretaker. Morgana and Lily just watched. Morgana's eyes were widened as she shook her head, Lily raised an eyebrow.

"All right. So I've got Evans, Fay, Black, and Lu- Potter. Bloody kids."

"It's still_ le _Fay!"

"Black, I'm warning you!"

"IN THE TOWN WHERE I WAS BOOOOOORRRRRNNN!"

"POTTER, SHUT UP!"

"LIVED A MAAAAANNN WHO SAILED THE SEAS! AND HE TOLD US OF HIS LIFE-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Forty-five minutes and a list of Beatles songs later, Filch, James, Lily, Sirius, and Morgana were headed up to McGonagall's office. All classes were let out.

"Potter, Black! What did you do now! Ah, Miss le Fay, Miss Evans... Well, what are the damages this time, Argus?" McGonagall said as they entered the classroom.

"These four were-"

"Absent from class today."

"Yes, and I found them on the other side of the building, saying that they were stuck in a trick step-"

"Well we were-"

"And then, they gave me fake names!" his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Black was Pettigrew and Potter was Lupin and then they said something about a yellow sub machine-"

"Yellow Submarine, _Submarine_!" Morgana corrected through gritted teeth.

"Well, no doubt Potter and Black were and are in need of punishment?"

"None at all, Minerva! What'll it be today?!"

"What about Miss le Fay and Miss Evans?"

"Who? Oh, them. Well, the one wouldn't help me silence the other, that one-" he pointed to Morgana.

"I'm not supposed to duel in corridors, sir," Morgana said innocently, picking at one of her alternating red-and-gold colored nails. Sirius felt a small rush of pride.

_'Look at that! Avoiding punishment! I taught her well!'_

"And the other one wouldn't help either." Lily looked down and twitched her nose. "All four of 'em should go in detention if you ask me!"

"Argus, you should have let them pass to here immediately-"

"They were up to something-"

"Apparently not, except for trying to get to class-"

"Irresponsible, ungrateful, childish, ignorant, immature-" This continued for several minutes until McGonagall shouted,

"FINE! FINE, ARGUS! PUT THE LOT OF THEM IN DETENTION FOR A NIGHT! IF IT'LL GET YOU TO STOP, I'M SURE THEY'LL DO IT!"

"No way le Fay and Evans are getting in detention. We'll do theirs," Sirius said, gesturing between himself and James who shrugged.

"Why should I-" Filch was cut off.

"Well, just think, you'll have the two of us taken care of for- what- two hours? The nice, good little girls get to study, you get two Potter-and-Black-free hours: win-win, my man," Sirius said with the same tone as a person trying to sell a used car. The caretaker pondered for a moment and looked at McGonagall hesitantly.

"The ladies did nothing wrong, I don't see why Black and Potter should be punished, but if you insist on handing out four detentions, Argus, and the gentlemen are ready to take them, it is up to you." Filch looked like Christmas had come early.

"All right, two detentions each, Potter and Black, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00, my office."

"Wonderful, now Argus, let me talk to my students alone."

"Yes, Minerva," he said, scurrying out of the room and shutting the door. She walked behind her desk and beckoned for them to come forward.

"Ten points for both Potter and Black, 5 each for you two ladies. Miss le Fay, Miss Evans, you didn't get involved, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, I do not believe you should have received detentions, however, I've let you slip many times and Argus is in a particularly bad mood. Also, it was very good of you to take the ladies' punishments as well, something uncharacteristic of yourselves."

"Thank you, Professor," they all said together.

"Homework- I would like a roll of parchment on Animagi. We discussed Chapter 29, it would do well to read it over. That is all." She took out a quill and began writing something on a long sheet of parchment. The other four waited for a moment and then turned and walked out of the room.

"You took our detentions?" Morgana said, unsure.

"Yeah, I figured you two don't seem like detention material," Sirius replied casually.

"Detention material?!"

"Uh-oh... I gotta go... library-" Lily said, sounding a little worried. She turned to go to the Library, James followed, asking her out repeatedly.

"Well, how many times have you been in detention?"

"When I hexed you in the hallway the three times and then when I hexed your brother his first year for calling me a s-."

"So a total of four and you're a fourth year, soon to be fifth- pathetic."

"How many times _have_ you been in detention?"

"154, soon to be 156 as of Saturday. Filch doesn't even know your name!" he said, amused.

"Most people would think that was a good thing."

"How do you do it, le Fay?" he said, shaking his head.

"Simple: I do the opposite of you, Black." Sirius still cringed every time she said his surname, even though she had been calling him that since the incident in the library- along with other names.

"Go out with me."

"I'm still doing the opposite of what you'd do, I'm not going out with you."

"Actually, me going out with me sounds quite appealing."

"Exactly, that's why I won't do it."

"Come to think of it, I really would hate going out with me couldn't pay me to do it."

"Don't quit do you?" he flashed her his trademark smile to which she responded with her own cunning half-smile.

"I won't quit until you do. By the way, the expression on your face was Marauder worthy in McGonagall's office.

"What?"

"Picking your nails, trying to look all innocent. 'I'm not allowed to duel in hallways, Mr. Filch.'" he mimicked in a high voice

"I believe it was 'I'm not supposed to duel in corridors, sir.'"

"Well, whatever it was, it was brilliant."

"If you were any other person, I'd thank you." By now, the two of them had stopped, Morgana was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion.

"If you were any other person, I wouldn't hand out the compliment."

"Charming."

"That's Prince Charming to you!" She rolled her eyes again. "Weren't you going to yell at me before? You're so cute when you're angry."

"You sound like Potter talking to Lily."

"Ah, Pursuer and the Pursued."

"Man-whore."

"Go out with me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No." They started walking again.

"I saved you from detention! Filch would've eaten you alive!"

"As I've said previously, I was in detention four times, three of those times I had knocked you out cold and in the Hospital Wing, the other was when I hexed your brother to the Hospital Wing. So I believe that I could _survive_ detention."

"How many times have I saved your pretty little neck?"

"How many times have I saved your neck which holds up that overly large head of yours?"

"_Touché_, but I save you plenty behind your back."

"Well don't."

"I'll visit you in the Hospital Wing, then."

"_Sirius Orion Black! You better not be calling me bloody incapable!_" she said in a deadly voice, her eyes flashing. He grinned.

"So cute when you're angry!"

"Ugh!" she marched up the stairs to the Fat Lady's portrait. "Bowtruckle."

"See you tomorrow!" he shouted as she walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Several minutes later, Lily came into the room, panting.

"I got sick... of Potter... ran all... the way here..."

"Don't blame you."

"Yell at Black?"

"Not really, you always think I'm going to yell at someone!"

"Looked like it..." Morgana rolled her eyes.

"I need to finish that project for potions!" Morgana said, flopping back down on her bed and rubbing her eyes.

"I need to, too. Five feet of pure summary... lovely," Lily replied with disdain.

"Another foot and a half to go..."

**OxO**

"Acceptable! Nice!" Sirius said, looking at the 'A' scrawled across the top of his paper. It was the last class of last day of classes for the Marauders' fourth year. He glanced over Morgana's shoulder as she packed her bag. "Exceeds Expectations- you and your brain. Evans! How'd you get an Outstanding?!"

"I wrote the paper, Black. Then I handed it in, got it back and it had a nice round 'O' on it! Fancy that."

"Between you and Snivellus!" Morgana and Lily grabbed their bags and walked out of class.

"No more classes! At least not for a few months! Wonderful, isn't it?" Morgana said, letting her head droop back and hugging her books.

"Mmm."

"What's up, Lils?"

"Well, I don't exactly know where I'll be spending my summer. My house is kind of... charcoal."

"Oh. Well, where's Petunia been staying?"

"At her friend's house, but she can only stay for a week after we get out, after that the family's going to Canada for a month."

"Relatives?"

"None."

"You could come stay with me. I'm sure Mum and Dad won't mind."

"I can't put that on your parents."

"Where will you go then?"

"I don't know. Petunia can probably stay with her other friend, Kayla. How hard could it be for me to find somewhere?"

"Are you listening to yourself?"

"Well-"

"I'm owling my parents. They always liked you anways!"

"Morgana-"

"Meet you in the Common Room in a few!" she ran off before Lily could protest. Morgana thought that someone would sort this out! She ran until she was well out of Lily's sight and then slowed to a walk, mentally writing her letter. She made it to the Owlery five minutes later and wrote it for real.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Hey all! It's the last day of classes and I know it's short notice- really short notice- but I have a huge favor to ask: Mrs. Evans still is in St. Mungo's and Mr. Evans is... well I told you about what happened. Anyway, Lily reckons Petunia, her sister, can stay with her friend, but Lily's got nowhere to go for the summer. So, I was wondering if she could stay with us. She has no relatives that she could stay with and we're her best bet._

_Write back as soon as you can!_

_Love,_

_Morgana_

She read over her letter. Where else could Lily go? Morgana looked around- her owl was gone. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen it in a few days. Shrugging, she called down a large tawny and tied the parchment to its leg and watched the owl soar away.

**OxO**

"Morgana! You got a letter!" Lily said absentmindedly walking into the girls' dormitories.

"Excellent!" she ripped open the piece of parchment.

_Morgana,_

_Your dad and I contacted Professor McGonagall when we got your letter. Yes, Lily can come stay with us! And if her sister needs a place, she can come too. The more, the merrier!_

_See you soon,_

_Mum_

"Lily! You're staying with me!"

"What?!"

"For summer, Petunia can come too if need be. But it's all sorted out! You're staying with us for the summer!"

"Really?!" she laughed and hugged her friend. "Your parents don't mind?

"Not at all! I told you they loved you!" Two pairs of eyes lit up- this would be a spectacular summer.

* * *

A/N: Really don't like that chapter. It was horrible to write so I tried to make it short. So now, we're going on to fifth year- YAY! Now, for today's exciting "Betcha Didn't Know!" Author Note Exclusive!

Betcha Didn't Know... Why Sirius' Birthday Is September 19th.

Though it's not canon, here, September 19th is the day Sirius Black was born. Why, you may ask, then? Well, it wasn't random.

1) September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day. I picture Sirius with some similarities to Captain Jack Sparrow. Also, I just love piratical stuff!

2) Sirius can spend his birthday at Hogwarts and away from his accursed family.

3) He then shares a birthday with Hermione. I thought that it showed how two people can differ but be the same. Hermione is very bookish, while Sirius tends to stay away from them, for example. But also, they've gotten into their fair share of trouble- for different reasons I might add. I would have loved to see more Hermione/Sirius interaction in the books. Here, I've given them a bit of a bond.

Okay, so, I'm off to write the next chapter- Chapter 12. I have everything planned for this chapter, it's just a matter of putting it together and knowing when to shut up. If you've noticed I have a bit of a problem with that. So, I'm going now... bye.

Cheers,

Dot


	12. The Long Kept Secret

**A/N:** "Mind if I sign your shoe, sir?" Sorry, watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Er... carry on! End note is much better!

**Disclaimer:** JKR owns all. Meanie. Hasn't she ever heard of sharing!?

**Warning:** Didn't you read the last one!?

* * *

__

"REMUS!" Sirius roared, jumping on his friend's back.

"Merlin, Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, collapsing under the unexpected weight.

"Congratulations!"

"On what?"

"Prefect."

"How'd you know?"

"Well, we all know it wasn't me, wasn't Peter, definitely not James- that leaves you."

"REMUS!"

"GAH!" he exclaimed as another body jumped on his.

"Miss me?" James said, flashing a grin.

"Did you and Sirius plan this or something?"

"What?"

"Trying to kill me."

"Oh, you should be used to that by now anyway!"

"What took you so long? Usually you find me before the train starts going."

"Yeah, I know. We're-" James checked his watch. "-three minutes late. Thought we were dead, eh?"

"Remus!" He jumped the third time his name was said and whipped around, afraid to be ambushed yet again. "You're a Prefect?"

"Woah!" Sirius said, eyeing the person in the doorway. Morgana must've grown two or three inches at least. Her sleek brown hair was let down and hung a bit above her elbows. Her wispy bangs were swept off to the side and gently strayed into her left eye. Her face seemed to have lost the childish innocence it had before and had taken on a very soft look, but was still brimming with an innocent aura (_'Which can be quite deceiving...' _Sirius thought.) and her cheeks no longer had the slight chubbiness to them like that of a six-year-old's. Sirius was forced to hold back a grin when he noticed that she also had developed a _very_ nice figure.

_'She'd murder me on the spot if she could read my mind right now...'_

Her eyelids were powdered a light lavender and her soft lips had a bit of shine to them. True, Morgana had always been above average-looking, quite pretty actually, but now she was just...

_'Beautiful,' _Sirius thought.

"What _are_ you looking at, Black?" she said without any sarcasm or disdain and then turned back to Sirius' friend. "Are you a Prefect, Remus?"

"Yeah, are you too?"

"Nah, Lily is, she's looking for you. Hang on a second," she hurried off in the opposite direction and returned with Lily who also appeared to have gone through some changes over the summer.

"Prefect?" the red head said.

"Yep, when are we suppose to go-"

"Well, about now from what I gathered."

"Are you going to the compartment right now? As in this second?" Remus asked her.

"Yeah, Ally has my stuff." Remus nodded and followed her out of the compartment, asking her about her summer as they walked. Morgana gave a small smile and walked the opposite way from the Prefects.

"Did you see, le Fay?" Sirius said, his eyes still wide.

"Yeah, she looked all right. Grew a bit. What about Evans?"

"Not bad. Why do you think le Fay wasn't Prefect?"

"Probably saving her for something else."

"Yeah, 'Morgana le Fay, Prefect President'."

"There isn't a Prefect President."

"I know, they'll probably make it up, just for her. le Fay looked great!"

"Well, at least she's not like those stupid fangirls of yours that you snog for the heck of it. She has an IQ and can articulate more than the word 'like' and express herself in other ways than giggling."

"Do they bug you?"

"They're rather monotonous, truthfully."

"Tell you what, I'll try one that has an IQ this year."

"Thank you."

"You'd do the same for me."

"Well, Evans does have an IQ..."

"Think you'll get her this year?"

"Probably not, but I can't give up." Sirius grunted in reply.

**OxO**

"Er, Sirius? A word?" Sirius looked up gratefully from the huge book he was forced to read for class. Morgana was standing in front of him in the Gryffindor Common Room, biting her lip and furrowing her brow in thought. He grinned.

"For you? All the words in this book and more."

"Yeah, that'd mean a hell of a lot more if you actually read it! Or weren't Sirius Black!" she turned and walked towards the Common Room exit, and whipped around when she realized he wasn't following. "Are you coming?"

"Oh, I thought the insult meant 'Stay the bloody hell away from me or I'll hex you.' If that's not the case..." he stood up and followed her out and into an empty classroom. She locked the door and cast an Imperturbable Charm on it and walked back towards him. "You know, I had a dream like this once," he said.

"You'd better not have. Now shut up and only speak when spoken to, okay?"

"Can do." Morgana sat down in an empty desk, Sirius sat across from her, his feet up on the desktop, chair back on two legs, lounging.

"Why does Remus disappear once a month?"

"Mum's ill, has to see her."

"You're lying."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Yes you are. You know why, the real reason why." He looked at her, cautious.

"Why do you think he leaves?" She pondered for a moment.

"Lycanthropy."

"What?"

"A... a were...wolf..." The other two legs of his chair hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Morgana, if I tell you this, you can't tell another soul on this Earth. Or out of it for that matter (bloody ghosts), not even Evans, understood?"

"Perfectly."

"Remus has- what did you say? Lycanthropy? Well, yes, that. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but if you figured it out for yourself, you deserve it. You'd find out soon enough. You can't let Remus know that you know, though, all right? Or for that matter, that I know you know," he explained in one breath. She was nodding slowly.

"How long have you known?"

"A few years. What was it? Third I think. Maybe the end of second. We confronted him in third though..."

(A/N: This is a memory. YAY!)

_"How are we going to ask him? Over tea and crumpets perhaps? Maybe in between talking about the weather and the nonexistent shampoo Snivellus uses-"_

_"Relax, mate. I've got this."_

_"Really? I'm not too sure, Sirius."_

_"James, I'm going to be my perfectly tactful self!"_

_"Well, that's worrying." They entered the Great Hall which was filled with loud conversation and the clinking of plates and silverware. Sirius led the way, James only about an inch behind him and to his side, hissing comments about how to drop the 'W-bomb,' Peter tailing behind, looking completely oblivious._

_"Morning, mate!"_

_"There you are! I was wondering when the three of you'd make it down."_

_"Bit of over-sleeping on our part, stayed up late last night, chatting." James watched Sirius nervously out of the corner of his eye as they took their seats while Sirius remained standing._

_"I know, kept me up, sounding like a bunch of giggling Sirius fangirls."_

_"Well, we had some interesting topics to discuss."_

_"Such as?" Sirius was pouring himself a pumpkin juice._

_"Remus, are you a w-"_

_"SIRIUS!" James interrupted loudly, making Sirius start and spill the drink. "A word?" They walked back out of the Great Hall and into an abandoned corridor. "Rather blunt?"_

_"Well, what's the point beating around the bush?"_

_"Why don't we hold off until later, we won't have a clear shot until classes are over anyway."_

_"Whatever you say, mate." _

_It was about 7:30 when they got a "clear shot."_

_"Remus? Mate? Darling? Can we have a little chat?"_

_"Don't call me darling and we can."_

_"Fine, get over here you great lump."_

_"Much more Sirius-like." He got up and followed them out of the Common Room into the much-used-for-secret-discussions empty classroom near by. James bolted the door once they all were inside, Peter bringing up the rear. "What's going on?"_

_"Actually mate, that's our question for you," James said, coming forward._

_"What-"_

_"We've been noticing your little disappearances once a month," Sirius explained._

_"I've been visiting my mum, didn't I tell you?"_

_"Well, that's it isn't it? That's what you told us. We know the truth."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about," he said calmly, but looking slightly more pale._

_"Do you take us for complete idiots?!"_

_"Of course not!"_

_"Then we know you know we know what you're not letting us know." He still looked confused. "Come off it, Rem! It's over! We know why you disappear every month like clockwork."_

_"Why is it then?" he sounded a little annoyed now._

_"You've got a furry little problem," James said._

_"Werewolf," Sirius said. Remus looked at the three of them, shaking slightly, his eyes narrowed, and when he spoke his voice was a rather low croak._

_"I suppose you're going to alert the whole school, then. Of course, that would be after you hex me to Timbuktu, pulverize me to bits, grab your torches and pitchforks, gather a mob and drive me out of the country, eh? Or perhaps kill me? Put my family in a worse condition than at present? Make me go and live with my own kind? It's up to you. Personally, I'd go with the rest of the werewolves. Birds of a feather flock together. Maybe while you're at it you could-"_

_"Shut up," Sirius said quite calmly. "We're not going to do any of that. Wouldn't even think about-"_

_"BUT YOU SHOULD! I'm a danger to society! A burden! A monster! I'm a filthy creature unworthy of human presence or- or company! Don't you realize what I'm capable of?! I can kill you!"_

_"Yeah, well, so could Morgana, but Sirius tags around after her doesn't he?"_

_"Compare me to Morgana? You're comparing me to a normal human being? A kind-hearted witch who leads a normal life? Even so, Morgana could never do any harm compared to what I could do! I could make a person's life a living hell with one bite!"_

_"Well, we'll be sure to feed you so as you don't mistake Peter as a slab of meat."_

_"Do you think this is a joke?!"_

_"Not at all, however, it's not as big of a deal as you think-"_

_"Shove off, James! Not a big deal? It's horrible!"_

_"Now you're just being a drama queen."_

_"I can kill you! Turn you into a monster-" _

_"As you've mentioned-"_

_"I can-" There was a bang as Sirius threw aside the chair he had been sitting on, not saying a word since Remus had first began shouting. He made his way over to Remus in three long strides and pushed him into the chair behind him in mid-sentence, drawing his wand and speaking in a growl as he stood over the younger boy._

_"Do you think we're the type of guys to do something like that? To abandon someone?"_

_"If I were to-"_

_"If! If! It's all a manner of 'if'! You have a bit of an off time once a month, to put it lightly. You're normal any other time of the moon cycle. We're not running off and telling everyone, Remus."_

_"But-" _

_"Why are you trying to get rid of us? One, it's stupid, why try to chase away people who care? Two, we're three extremely stubborn bastards and are not, I repeat, are not going anywhere anytime soon. Understand?" Remus looked defeated and sighed._

_"All right, but you can't tell anyone. Okay?"_

_"Right-o mate."_

_"We won't do anything you don't want us to do," James said, walking up to the two. Sirius and James gripped Remus in a tight hug, and Peter came over to join._

_"Guys? Um, guys? This is great an all, really, I appreciate it, but I can't breathe."_

_"Shut up and suffocate," Sirius said, muffled._

_"Okay."_

(A/N: Endius Memorius!)

"And that, is how we found out about Remus and his time of the month. Well, that's how we confronted him. It took us a while to work it out though. Come to think of it, we figured it out over the break between second and third year, because I had to hide the letters that James and I were sending back and forth. Yeah..."

"Have you figured out anything you can do?"

"You have an idea?"

"Yes."

"What's yours?"

"You first."

"You first!"

"Write it down on a sheet of parchment and exchange." Sirius pulled out a piece of parchment and ripped it in half and threw her a muggle pencil, she scribbled something down on her half and handed the pencil back to him, he scratched something on the parchment as well. "Switch." They exchanged papers, both read 'Animagi.'

"It took us years to figure that out!"

"Sirius, you and James may be clever, but you have absolutely no regard towards studies! Remember when we had to do the essay on Animagi?"

"No."

"Of course not! I figured the lycanthropy out last summer and when I found the parchment in my trunk when I was packing to come back, it clicked."

"Hang on. Snide remark before last, did you give me a compliment?"

"Hmm?"

"You called me clever! James too!"

"Well, you're not a complete idiot. However, I'm not saying either of you are rich in common sense."

"You fancy me don't you?"

"No. Now back to Remus, what are we going to do about him?"

"You first."

"Well, if he can keep some of his wits about him during the transformation and that makes him safer, I'd say... have to become Animagi..."

"Hark! What's this? Morgana le Fay, Prefect, perfect student, friend of Lily Evans, wishes to break the rules and help others become Animagi illegally?"

"I don't just want to help you, I want in."

"What?! No. Nah-uh, I'm not allowing it! Something could go wrong and I'm not having that on my conscience!"

"Do you have the directions for the potion?"

"No."

"Any sort of book that might have the potion? Said book would probably be in the Restriced Section."

"Nope."

"Any ingredients for the potion?"

"Once again, negative." She smiled, he was trapped.

"Do you have a plan to get any of those?"

"No..." He was undeniably trapped.

"I do."

"You do?"

"I do."

"How?"

"Slughorn. I can weasel just about anything out of him."

"By means of-?"

"Lying. 'Professor... er... I need to get a book for extra research, but it's in the Restricted Section, could you sign...?'" It was very convincing, she was just the right amount of nervous- would the professor say yes or no?- but at the same time, she was somehow stubborn, she wasn't going to get talked out of this one.

"Not bad. Should try biting on your nail. Otherwise, very convincing. When are you going to try it?" She looked at the clock.

"Right now," she got up and walked to the door.

"Now? Bugger! Let me get the Cloak?" he gently pushed past her and ran back into the Common Room through the portrait, returning a minute later.

"What's that?" she asked, eyeing the silvery fabric in his hands.

"Is anyone coming?"

"No, but- where'd you go?"

"Right here!" he popped his head out of the Cloak earning a gasp and several swearwords.

"An Invisibility Cloak?"

"Yep, James'. Now, can we get going?" They quietly walked down to the dungeons, taking a detour to get away from Peeves. Morgana knocked on the dungeon door.

"_Come in_." The door opened with a click and Morgana stepped in, she felt Sirius push against her as the dungeon doors closed, barely getting in. "Ah, Miss le Fay! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Morgana looked down at the parchment in her hands.

"Well, sir, I hate to ask this, but there's a book I need for extra research. I'm trying to do a bit of a lengthier essay and I realized that to really understand it... well I need this book... and I looked everywhere but it's in the... the Restricted Section and... well, I _do_ need a professor's signature to get the book. Would it be possible if...?"

"You want me to sign for you?" There was a note of hesitation in his voice. "Well, all right. I can't see any harm in it," he beckoned for her to come over and he signed the piece of paper.

"Thank you, sir."

"Not at all, not at all. Now, if you want to get that book before curfew, I'd suggest you'd get going."

"Yes, sir! Thank you again!" The two hurried out of the dungeon. A floor up, Sirius took off the Cloak.

"Nice work!"

"Thank you!" she said proudly. "Now we just have to get it." They ran the rest of the way up to the Library. "Stay here." Sirius stood outside the Library while Morgana went in. "Mrs. Ferly? Um, I have a note from Professor Slughorn, may I get a book from the Restriced Section?"

"Certainly, dear! Right this way!" Sirius heard the old librarian say. About ten minutes later Morgana came out of the Library, holding a particularly worn book. There were quite a few stains on the cover which looked as though it had been burned many times, several pages were half hanging out, and it seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust on the tops of the pages.

"Got it."

"There's the Marauder in you! Lying to teachers and whatnot!"

"It's not exactly lying! I just twisted the truth slightly to my advantage, that's all!"

"Of course, you did!" But added in a whisper, making sure she could hear it, "Liar!"

"Shut it!" she laughed.

"Now, how are we going to get the ingredients that we can't... get?" Morgana opened the book and flipped through the pages, stopping at about halfway through it.

"Some of these potions are horrible... here it is," her small, excited smile faded into a frown. "There's more in here than we thought..."

"More of what?"

"Harder-to-get ingredients. Slughorn might have them... I can't exactly send out an order for these either..."

"Get what you can off of Slughorn..." he shrugged.

"But see, we just got this book off of him. He's probably wondering what I'm up to already. If I go up and ask him if he has lacewings or something... he'll probably put two and two together."

"How are we going to get them then?"

"No clue..."

**OxO**

It had been about a week since Sirius had told Morgana about Remus' lycanthropy. As it so often happened, Morgana had fallen asleep in her favorite arm chair by the fire, reading, when Remus walked in. She awoke when the portrait gave a creak as it swung open.

"Mmm... Hey Remus!" she yawned, rubbing her eyes. "We missed you!"

"Hi. Great. Listen, it's good you're up... or awake at least. I need to talk to you," he said quickly, sitting down on the couch.

"Shoot," he replied, sitting next to him, wide awake now.

"Well, the night I left, you were gone with Sirius for a while, right?"

"Against my better judgement, yes."

"I, er, noticed and I asked him what you two were doing, strictly innocence curiosity. I could tell he was lying. Something about homework."

"Hmm." She really didn't want to lie, but really didn't want to tell the truth either.

"So, I talked with him a bit more and to get him to tell me what you two were really doing." This was it, Morgana wasn't supposed to know about the lycanthropy, but she did. Sirius was going to get it from Remus, Morgana was going to get it from Remus. He'd find out about the plan and would thwart yet another mischief-making attempt.

"I-"

"He told me you two had worked out your differences and were back together, but you didn't want to announce it or anything yet."

"THAT LITTLE! I mean, I guess-" she thought fast. "I just didn't think he'd say anything until, you know, I was ready."

_'I'm going to kill him!' _At least she was in the clear for now with Remus.

"So, you two are dating?"

"Yep."

"Seeing each other?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Together?"

"Yes."

"Snogging?"

"Yeah."

"Really? Because he then sighed and told me that that part was a dream and that really you had had a discussion about my lycanthropy." She bit her lip.

"Oh... _Oh_." He was determinedly not looking at her.

"Well, aren't you going to-"

"Can it, Remus. You gave Sirius, James, and Peter that talk and you're going to have the same end result with me, so save your breath!" He looked slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry.

"That's quite alright," she said stiffly, then sighed. "Remus, I've been your friend since first year when I didn't know, why wouldn't I be your friend now. And anyway, you're only _that_ part of you once a month, the rest of the time you're still your normal self. I'm not going to tell anyone either." He shook his head, staring at her, an odd look on his face. Suddenly, he pressed his lips to hers, she sat stunned for a moment but then relaxed. As she put up a hand on each of his shoulders, he pulled away, taking hurriedly.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have... Sirius'll kill me-"

"To Hell with him, I'm not his property! I don't belong solely to Sirius Black," she kissed _him_ this time. When they broke apart he asked her,

"Will you go out with me?" She smiled warmly.

"Of course." She had never seen him look so happy before, not for something she did at least. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead, just as Sirius had done after Morgana woke up in his arms last year.

**OxO**

Sirius walked into the Great Hall the next morning, still groggy, and plopped down across from Morgana and Remus who were talking quietly next to Ally, Chris, Lily, and Peter. Morgana and Remus smiled at him as he sat down.

"What? What'd you get me into this time?" Sirius said suspiciously.

"Please! _You're_ the one getting _us_ into trouble!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Well, what is it?"

"Er... well... We-"

"Morning my chipper little nifflers!"

"Hey Jamesies, Morgana was just about to tell me why she's suddenly pleasant to yours truly."

"You mean she's talking to you?"

"Yep."

"Without hexing?"

"As far as I can tell."

"Are you sure it's her?"

"Think so."

"Check her for Polyjuice Potion." Sirius reached across the table toward her and she pushed his hands away.

"Black! I saw where you were reaching! Try it again and your hands'll be in places where you'd rather not have them!" she growled.

"There she is! Pretty and sweet as a picture! See, James, it _is_ le Fay!"

"You are such an annoying git!"

"You're a nagging, whiney little brat!"

"Then why ask me out?!"

"I don't know."

"Save your breath! Ask one of those stupid giggling ones that are constantly fawning over you!"

"Maybe I will!"

"I'd enjoy that immensely!"

"What if I were to-"

"Guys?" Remus said, unsure.

"If you even tried, Black, I'd scratch out your eyes with my nails!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Guys?!" James shrugged and let the two battle out whatever it was they were battling out.

"So, Remus, what was Morgana trying to say before?"

"I'd imagine that she was trying to tell the two of you that we're going out." The bickering immediately stopped and Morgana sat down quickly, shooting a nervous smile over at Remus. Sirius stood there speechless and frozen, his index finger still pointing in the air, mouth still open in mid-word, but his face had a different expression on it. He bit his top lip in thought, an eyebrow furrowed and his finger bopping up and down slowly.

"Right..." he sat down and nodded slowly. James looked over at Sirius, but faced Remus, grinning.

"Nice one, mate!" Lily, who had been watching the shouting match scooted closer to Morgana.

"Wait, what happened?"

"Remus and le Fay are snog buddies now." Lily let out a high-pitch, very un-Lily-like squeal and hugged her friend, despite James' wording of the relationship. Morgana had never looked so red in her life. She felt like she was on display. She glanced over at Sirius who was staring at her as if she was someone he hadn't seen in a long time, studying her wordlessly and emotionlessly. A moment later, Chris and Ally were smiling warmly at Morgana and Remus.

'It's not like I'm pregnant! Merlin! They're acting like I'm engaged to the poor bloke!' Morgana gave them a sheepish grin and looked across at Sirius, he was still staring at her. It didn't really hit her until then that Sirius had been yelling at her, he had been angry for some reason. But he couldn't have known about Remus and Morgana going out... could he have? Morgana couldn't ever remember a time when Sirius had fought like that with her. Usually he annoyingly agreed with her. A minute later, it was time to go to classes

**OxO**

"Lily, why's my potion darker than yours?"

"It's not that bad, maybe a shade off at the most. Add some more asphodel. Here, I'll-" there was a screech and then an explosion. Instinctively, Lily and Morgana ducked behind their cauldrons and peeked out when they heard people scuffling about- someone's cauldron had exploded.

"What happened?" Sluggy said, waddling quickly over to the center of the explosion, bits of cauldron and puddles of potion were all over the room.

"MY POTION!" someone screeched, there were several splashes and Snape was standing next to Slughorn, an angry flush creeping into his sickly-pale face. Slughorn bent down and picked something up.

"A firework? A firework?!" he glanced around the room. "Mr. Black?" Sirius innocently looked up from his (his, here, meaning "Stole them from Remus.") notes. "Your doing?"

"Perhaps."

"Detention, Mr. Black. Tomorrow night, you'll be sorting potions ingredients." Morgana rolled her eyes.

"What good'll that do?" she muttered, going back to trying to fix her potion. Then it hit her.

_'It'd be illegal.'_

_'You're making an Animagi potion, one more law won't hurt.'_

_'It'd be complicated.'_

_'I love a challenge.'_

_'Is it worth it?'_ She looked over at Remus who's gashes from the previous full moon had not quite healed yet. Definitely worth it. She told Lily she'd be right back and headed over to where Remus was sitting.

"Hey," she said softly in Remus' ear. He started but scooted over so she could sit on the bench between him and Sirius.

"Do you need something?"

"No, not really."

"Oh... all right then..." he went back to his potion. She gave a quick scowl, she hadn't thought out how she was going to work this out yet. And then, by some miracle, Sirius spoke.

"Morgana, do you have any-"

"Oh, yeah! Loads! Here, follow me!" she tugged him over to her seat and lead him around to the front of the table where there was a small puddle, she took her time by it and Sirius gave her his traditional nudge. She fell backwards purposely, Sirius caught her, but bumped her cauldron, sending her slightly-darker-than-Lily's potion sloshing on the floor. Suddenly, she realized what she could do and immediately said every swearword she knew in a very loud voice, cursing Sirius and her spilled potion.

"Miss le Fay," Sluggy said in a warning voice. She winced, but ignored him. She carried on, shouting at Sirius in a loud voice. "Miss le Fay! _Miss le Fay_! That's it. I hate to say it, but you'll be spending tomorrow night with Mr. Black in detention." She cringed and stopped shouting, talking in an uncaring voice.

"Fine," and sat down, clenching her teeth. Lily gaped at her.

"What was that all about?!"

"Got angry, that's all," she grumbled. Lily shook her head and continued on with her potion.

**OxO**

"Alright, you two. I need you to inventory the ingredients here and here-" Slughorn pointed to the two highest shelves "-once you do that, you're free to go. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He left the room, leaving Morgana and Sirius alone in the small potions store room.

"Well, let's get to it then," she said. They climbed the two ladders leaning against the shelves and began scribbling down the contents of each bottle or box, not speaking. About an hour into the detention, Sirius began to talk.

"So, you and Remus..?"

"Are going out? Yes, I suppose we are."

"Why?"

"He asked me, I said yes."

"But why did you say yes?"

"Why did you start yelling at me?"

"When?"

"Yesterday, when you found out."

"Oh, that was nothing. Why do you keep turning me down?" She turned her head to look at him and set her quill down, looking as if she were reprimanding and eight-year-old.

"One, I'm currently unavailable. Two, you've asked me so many times that I won't say yes. And three, it's not right."

"What's not right?"

"We've been over this! You keep asking me and asking me, but you don't mean it!"

"I do mean it!"

"No, you don't."

"You know we were fine until you decided that me apologizing wasn't good enough for you!"

"I was upset! And then when I did come around, you were already snogging girls senseless!"

"And now you're off snogging one of my best friend's!"

"I-"

"Remus is like a brother to me and you go out with him!"

"Sirius, I'm sorry! You have to-" the pleading look on her face turned to anger. "Hang on! What am I apologizing for?! Don't you go trying to make me feel guilty now!" He grinned. "UGH!" she began writing as fast as she could, so did he. After about twenty minutes, they climbed down the ladders, handed Slughorn the lists and walked into the hallway.

"What are we going to do about your new beau?"

"What about Remus?"

"Well, he does have his time of the month, we have a plan, a plan for the plan, but no plan on how to get the things needed for the plan for the plan."

"Oh, the ingredients? I have them right now," she showed him the inside of her bag which had several small vials and boxes in it.

"How'd you..."

"Easy enough to nick 'em. Pockets, sleeves; Slughorn wouldn't dream of me doing something so... _brash_ as to even _think_ of something like this!"

"So, we have all the ingredients?"

"We have all the ingredients," Morgana said proudly, a smile on her face that could rival that of Scarlet O'Hara's.

"Devil girl!" Sirius said in awe.

"It's not that bad!"

"You lied to a teacher to get a book from the Restricted Section, you got the book to make a potion so that you could illegally transform into an animal with three other people while you run with a werewolf, and now you just stole the ingredients for the potion. Nope, not bad at all."

"Shut it, I don't want the whole school to hear!"

"When can we start it?"

"Well, give me at least until tomorrow. I can start it in my dorm and bring it over to yours. But you have to hide it from Remus, he'll try to interfere somehow."

"Tomorrow?!" Sirius said excitedly.

"Yes."

"le Fay, you're a miracle worker." Morgana rolled her eyes.

"Git."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, first off... I'M SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY IF YOU WERE WAITING FOR ME TO UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!! School has started up, before that I was helping my mom, then when I finally get a chance to write, my laptop goes funny. So, we fixed the poor computer eventually and whatnot. So I tried to make the chapter kinda longer. It was certainly juicier. So, I will try to update more often. Really I will.

Now, for my information... thing.

DID YOU KNOW...

_Morgana is loosely based on, that's right, Dot, her uncreative, untalented, unprofessional, uncreative, un...creative creator. Both girls share a similarity in appearance (Morgana looks better), interest in only one sport (Morgana's is cooler), love of school (I'd lay ya money Morgana'd do better, just by looking at the pattern), and an interest in Sirius Black (Dammit! She won again!). Also, she shares Dot's birthday- November 1. Though she'd be... several years older._

Wow! Wasn't that interesting! Gee, how amazing! Now, onto my thank-yous.

Thanks to my wondrous reviewers, whom I love and cherish. Bless their souls!

To 7Ryder: Sorry for the long wait! See, it's longer (looks like it here on the ol' WordPad at least) and they found out about Lupin's badly behaved rabbit! Well, at least we became aware that they were aware. Then Morgana became aware... right.

Thanks to **Dragongirl67**,** PadfootStripQuidditch**,** DarlingAngelPuff**,** TheaterChick1794**, and the above mentioned **7Ryder**.

Also, thanks to Beth, the first fanfic-er I found that wasn't in cyberspace. YAY BETH!

Next chapter: Ze potion is ready! Mwahahaha! Also, if all goes accordingly, there will be several injuries. YAY!

So, I leave you now. Until next time,

Love,

Cheers,

Dot


	13. Desperate Need

**A/N:** Hmmm, yes, hmmm. Move along my wee chipper monkeys.

**Warning:** Beings as I have no clue how much swearing I'm going to put in this chapter (probably as much as the previous chapters). So, take this warning as a... well, a warning.

**Disclaimer:** (glares threateningly)

* * *

_**Chapter 13- Desperate Need**_

Morgana hurried up the steps of the boys' dormitories, James Potter's Invisibility Cloak thrown over her. The door was ajar, she pushed it open, walking silently inside.

"Sirius? You here?" Sirius Black's head popped up behind a bed. She closed the door and walked over, throwing off the Cloak. Sirius, James, and Peter were all sitting by a cauldron of steaming blue potion, a book lying open. "When did Remus leave?"

"About five seconds ago. You just made it." She nodded and picked up the book, her eyes scanning across the page at a mile a minute.

"Okay, we can't get it much better than this," she conjured up four goblets and filled each to the brim with potion and stood up. The others followed suit. "Bottoms up, gents!" she said and raised the goblet to her lips.

"Wait! Maybe I should try first it first. Make sure it's not-"

"Sirius Orion Black! I brewed this potion, nothing- I repeat- _nothing_ is going to go wrong." There was a pause as she let him take this in. "And anyway, why would I let you have all the fun?!" Morgana grinned wickedly. "Cheers!" she tossed back her head and drank the potion. Sirius looked at the others, defeated, and they all drank. The four stood for a moment, waiting- nothing happened. Morgana sighed after a minute of waiting. When she spoke, it was very fast, her voice was strained as if she were about to cry. "Well, I guess there was nothing to worry about. It didn't work. Maybe we can try again in seventh year or something." A shuddering breath and her voice was higher yet. "I mean how could it work? We're fifth years. Far too advanced for us. I have homework to do anyway, Si-" she stopped speaking and her body gave a tremendous shudder, she gasped for air and felt as if someone were stabbing every inch of her body.

"Morgana! _Morgana_! Dammit! Something's wrong! Morgana, breathe! Breathe, girl, breathe! Come _on_, love!" Sirius lowered her down onto the floor but soon began to experience the same pain as her and was soon crouched on all fours on the ground. Morgana pointed her wand at the door, slamming it shut. She could hear three people scuffling around on the floor and was suddenly thrown back. Her body collided with the wall and she felt her arms and legs shortening and her face lengthening and being pushed and shaped. She let out a scream, the most peculiar scream she had ever heard. Her skin was on fire, she would surely die. As suddenly as it came, it stopped. She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes, weakly pushing herself up until-

'Hang on... what the-' she had four legs and... Merlin, she had paws! She turned her head and saw a bushy, white-tipped red tail. 'A fox... I'm a fox?!' She shakily took a few steps, unsure how she should move her feet. She stumbled over to the opposite wall where there was a large pile of shaggy black fur. She tilted her head at the dog, 'Must be Sirius,' and prodded him with her foot when she realized he wasn't moving. She tried to tell him to wake up, but all she could do was make an odd barking noise, so she nosed at his shoulder. He jerked, began to pant, and opened his eyes, looking quite startled to wake up to a fox standing over him. Morgana rolled her eyes (quite an accomplishment) and trotted off, dragging her school robes over behind a bed with her teeth. She transformed to her normal state and threw on her blouse and skirt.

"You three dressed yet?"

"Come on out, you're not going to see anything." Morgana stepped out from behind the bed. Sirius, James, and Peter were sitting on James' bed wearing their boxers. Quidditch was _definitely_ good for the body, it showed in the two players, one especially.

"It worked!" she said simply, giving them a satisfied smile. Sirius walked towards her.

"You brilliant, brilliant girl!" he picked her up and spun her around. "You brilliant, brilliant, _brilliant_ girl!"

"Easy there, Black!" He put her down and looked at her at arms' length then turned to the boys.

"She got the book, she got the ingredients, she brewed the bloody thing!" he turned back to her. "Amazing, truly amazing."

"Well, I must have done something wrong, it appears to have affected your mind," she laughed, bemused. He took another step towards her.

"Seems like it makes me think clearer if anything," he murmured, putting a hand on her cheek. She smiled and looked down at her feet. She felt the other hand on her shoulder and looked up at Sirius who was still smiling down at her. "Brilliant," he repeated softly, they inched forward, growing closer and closer with each painful moment and then-

"Sirius, mate, I can't find your socks!"

"Use your own, James!" he said loudly, rather annoyed, but still not moving from Morgana.

"Mine are all dirty!"

"When's that stopped you before?"

"Well, just recently!" Sirius rolled his eyes and walked off to help James. Both Morgana and Sirius could have sworn they heard the other say the same phrase.

"_Bloody Potter_."

**OxO**

It was the night of the first full moon for the four unregistered Animagi and Morgana still didn't know what to tell Lily.

"Tell her you'll be in the Library or something."

"Tell her you're in detention."

"Tell her to go out with me."

"I'm going to be gone all night! I'll just tell her that and say that I'll tell her why later, buy myself some time."

"Yeah, maybe she'll forget about it eventually."

"At least there aren't classes tomorrow! That'd be dreadful."

"Well, only for you. See, the Marauders here can do without the classes really. You thrive on them, le Fay."

"Shut it, Black."

Just after sunset, Morgana took Lily aside.

"Listen, I'm going to be gone all night, so pl-"

"Why?!"

"I can't tell you now! But I'm going to be gone, if anyone asks, I need you to make up an excuse for me!"

"Where are you going? Why are you going? Who are you going with? What are you going to do? How-"

"Lils, I'll tell you later, right now I just really need to go!" Lily wasn't going to let her go. "Look, it's really important! I'm not doing anything bad! It's actually a really good thing to do!"

"Is it illegal?" Lily's arms were crossed and she was glaring at her friend. Morgana furrowed her brow and moved her mouth, trying to think of how to phrase it.

"It may be. It might not. However, I assure you I'm doing it for the right reasons!" Lily looked at her, bewildered.

"Morgana Antoinette Caroline Harmons le Fay, what the bloody hell are you going to do?!" Now, Morgana was annoyed.

"Lily, listen to me. Here are your options: 1) let me pass, make up excuses for me, 2) don't let me pass and hex me to make me stay, 3) I hex you and go on my merry way. Really, the first one's the best for any party involved." She said nothing. "Evans, I'm warning you. You have until I count to five, then I'm going to hex you into oblivion and hide you under your bed and won't deal with you until I get back. One... Two... Three..."

"All right! But you'd better have a really good reason-"

"I do!" And with that, Morgana hurried down the stairs to the Common Room. She walked past the boys' dormitories and heard a stair creak, she saw nothing out of the corner of her eye and walked out the portrait hole. "You there?" she muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Yes," someone whispered back. "I want a word." Next thing she knew, Sirius Black had appeared next to her and was leading her into the nearest empty classroom by the arm and shutting the door behind them. "James and Peter'll still be under the Cloak. Listen, Morgana, I don't want you to do this."

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"I'd rather you not get injured, truth be told. I don't want something to happen to you!"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly wish something on you either, Sirius!"

"No offence to you, but James and I are stronger, we're less likely to get hurt and Peter could go most anywhere to get out of harm's way. You, however-"

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare! Don't you dare call me weak!"

"I wasn't going to-"

"Do you think I'm helpless?!"

"MORGANA! I just don't want you getting hurt."

"You want to protect me," she spat, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "I don't need protecting."

"Believe you me, I know that! But I'd really just... I don't want you getting hurt and... anything like that." She walked forward and put a hand on each of his arms.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially you, but I have to be there for Remus. He's my friend- boyfriend, for that matter-" Sirius clenched his teeth when she said that, he had almost forgotten, yet it was all he thought about. "-and I'm not going to get hurt. I'll watch myself."

"But-"

"I've gone through all this. I went through the potion, the transformation, I nearly hexed Lily to be here- I'm going."

"I can't let you go."

"Please, Sirius."

"No." She looked up into his eyes, desperation clouded hers.

"I need to be there." Something inside her told her that her intentions weren't solely for Remus. Sirius sighed and looked weary.

"Alright, but under one condition."

"Name it."

**OxO**

There were shrieks and cries as moonlight poured in through a hole in the roof of the Shrieking Shack, Remus' face contorted and twisted in agony. Sirius sat in the corner as a dog, waiting, ever ready. Next to him stood a magnificent stag, James, and on the stag's antler, a rat sat- Peter. In the threshold sat Morgana as a fox, struggling with her emotions- pity for Remus and anger at Sirius. The "one condition" for her to come was that she had to stay out of harm's way, constantly on the other side of the room; she fidgeted anxiously. After a minute, the screams stopped and were replaced with a terrible howling. Sirius stepped forward, crouched low. The wolf snapped at him, but appeared uninterested and instead took to ripping up the sofa.

"For that, I had to stay in the doorway? As long as I wasn't a piece of furniture, I was fine!"

"Yeah, well, he didn't know what to do this month. He's never had any other animals with him before. It was weird though, I thought he'd be more... vicious. I only got a few chomps, one or two broke skin."

"Well, don't wish for anything. I'm sure it'll get worse as time goes on."

"Oh boy." Sirius and Morgana stopped talking as soon as they reached the hospital wing- they weren't alone. Accompanying them were James, Peter, and Lily, the last of whom had been recently informed of Remus' furry little problem.

"Madam Pomfrey? Is Remus here?" Morgana said, looking rather timid. The healer looked frightened.

"Remus? Remus?! No, there's no Remus here! I'm sure whoever you're looking for is in the Library or something!"

"Remus Lupin? Lighter hair, scars, hazel eyes, bookish fellow? Gryffindor?"

"Oh! Oh, that Remus! I'm not sure he's fit for visitors-"

"We just want a minute."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't allow it. He's far too-"

"Madam Pomfrey," Sirius stepped forward. "We respect you and all, it'd be stupid not to, however, if you don't let us in and see him, we _will _stand out here all day and bug the living crap out of you." She pondered for a moment- a few minutes versus the entire day.

"Fine, but you can't be loud and you only get a few minutes. He's at the farthest bed," she rushed off before she could change her mind. Sirius gently pushed Morgana forward, his hand on her back, as the five made their way to the end of the ward, suddenly very somber. Morgana smiled when she saw him.

"Hey, Rem!" she said, trying to be cheerful. He was sitting up in bed, awake but looking rather tired. His face had one long gash on the side and he must have had several more on his torso, judging by his ginger movements, but he lit up when he saw them.

"Morning!" Morgana took his hand and bent over to kiss his forehead- Sirius felt yet another pang of jealousy. She looked rather happy when they were together.

"Remus!" Sirius and James said together, moving forward, Peter at their heels, squeaking happily.

"Did I take any bites out of anyone last night?"

"A few on me. Nothing major though." Remus suddenly noticed the last member of their party and looked rather nervous.

"Lily! Er, how are-"

"S'all right, Rem. Lily's one of the chosen ones and she says that if we do it, it's our own choice." Sirius began to rummage in his bag and pulled out several small bottles of butterbeer and some chocolate and passed them around. "Here ya go, mates." Sirius closed his bag and watched Morgana and Remus talking quietly, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Morgana kissed Remus' cheek and entwined her fingers with his, and for the first time in his life, the one group Sirius wanted to be in, couldn't and wouldn't include him.

**OxO**

Morgana was dozing off on the sofa in the Common Room late at night. Remus sat at a table, his long-forgotten homework lying scattered on the table around him, listening to her mutter incoherently in her sleep.

"Morgana." She gave a small jump and was wide awake in a moment.

"What's wrong?" He was now standing and had walked over to be in front of her, his voice conveyed no emotion.

"Morgana, you're a great friend, amazing witch, but I can't."

"Can't what?" She knew exactly what and spoke in a growl. "Remus? Can't what?"

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Oh, well that's just peachy! How very lovely for you, Remus! And do I get a say in the matter or am I just a puppet in the relationship?"

"It's not-"

"Oh I think it is! I've known you for over 5 years, dated you for, what? Over two months, going on three? Not that long, but it's longer than some. Do I at least get to find out why?!"

"I don't feel how you do."

"How can you not? _You_ asked _me_!" Several comments before, she had jumped to her feet and was now jabbing Remus in the chest with her right index finger at every mention of the word "you".

"I made a mistake."

"Than why'd you do it?"

"I didn't know it was a mistake at the time. Morgana, you're a fine person, but we're too different."

"You're a liar! That's not it at all is it? _Is it_!?"

"It's exactly it. Whether or not you accept it is up to you. The end result is, regrettably, the same." She opened and closed her mouth several times before she began shouting again with pure venom.

"Coward! Your first relationship and you can't deal! Face it, Lupin, you're afraid of commitment! Of feeling!"

"No, I'm not."

"You're afraid of it because you think people might see you as a normal teen if you're seeing someone. But you want peoples' pity! You want them to think that you're tragically misunderstood, and you can't achieve that when you look happy!"

"I-"

"How much did I give you? How much?! And you can't even give me a decent reason why you're doing this to me!"

"Morgana, you're not going to change my decision. I don't love you." She slapped him hard and spoke softly.

"When I said yes, it was because I didn't want to hurt you. Funny how things switch up, huh?" He looked as though she had slapped him several times more, though her hands remained where they were. "I risked life and limb to become an Animagus so your little _problem_ once a month might be lessened. I sorely regret that now." He looked furious. "Good-night, Remus." With that, she stalked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories, never once looking back.

**OxO**

"LE FAY SCANS THE PITCH. IT'S RATHER SAD WHEN THE MOST EXCITING THING IN THE MATCH IS THE SEEKER HOVERING, BUT THE QUAFFLE IS STILL M.I.A.! WE'RE KIND OF AT A STAND STILL RIGHT NOW!" That certainly was the case. No one had managed to make more then one goal, this match. After about an hour with no avail, the attempts were feeble and many were just going through the motions. Then the Quaffle was lost... It was cold, rainy, and horribly windy. Morgana wasn't hovering nearly as high above the players as usual. Instead, she was almost among them, just a few feet above being equal with the goals as she flew in small, slow circles above the middle of the pitch. Suddenly she saw a streak of yellow and knew it all too well as the Hufflepuff seeker. She streaked after him, neck and neck with him in a minute. They hurled after the gold ball, arms outstretched when everything went black. Mogana felt a collision on her left side by the Seeker, a crack to the back of her head, and then no more.

**OxO**

She woke up in the Hospital Wing. Judging by the lack of sunlight around her, it was the dead of night. Someone sat in a chair next to her bed, snoring quietly. For the longest time, she just laid there, listening to him breathe, enjoying the feeling of his hand covering hers. Wasn't she supposed to be mad at him? When he woke up, she smiled.

"Hey, Sirius." He gave a weak grin at the girl he had kissed two, long years ago.

"You're up! I should go get Madam Pomfrey."

"No, no need to wake her. What happened?" He looked pathetically apologetic.

"When you went after the Snitch... I aimed the bludger at the other Seeker, but I couldn't see that well and ended up hitting you... You knocked into him and then fell, McKinnon caught you. The Seeker lost the Snitch and Dumbledore and McGonagall ended up taking you in."

"So we won?"

"No."

"You said the Snitch wasn't caught!"

"I said the Seeker lost it. About a half hour later he got it. We lost 150 to 10. It was worse than last year when we lost the Cup because _James_ got hit with a Bludger." Morgana winced at the memory. "No one blames you. They don't blame anyone really. They should be blaming me though."

"Nonsense, there's no way anyone could blame you. Conditions were horrible, you couldn't see, we were zooming around." He didn't look convinced. "Listen to me. When I tried out for Seeker, I knew what I was getting into. We always get it the worst. I'll just have to wait until next match."

"Well, that's the thing-"

"Oh, Merlin..."

"See, it hit you in the head and cracked your skull, broke the skin- McKinnon was covered in blood, same with me, McGonagall, even Dumbledore had a bit on him before he managed to stop it. We didn't think you could bleed that much!" She felt both amused and disturbed at the slight presence of awe in his voice.

"Why would that affect the next match?"

"Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall won't let you play the next one. Mainly Madam Pomfrey, McGonagall was just a little iffy on it."

"Why?"

"No clue."

"Well, what about my arm?"

"Whaddaya mean?"

"My right arm, I can't move it." Indeed, she gingerly tried to raise it, but couldn't, instead she just felt a sharp shooting pain go the length of it. Sirius got up and walked around the bed and gently looked at her right arm.

"Done this many a time. Broken. Lemme get her." Sirius disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later with Madam Pomfrey in tow.

"How'd we miss that?" the Healer said, taking out her wand. In seconds, Morgana felt her arm grow warm and she could move it once more. "Do you need anything? We can get you something to eat or a sleeping potion or-"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Alright, well get some sleep dear." A moment later, the two fifth years were alone.

"Shouldn't Remus be here?"

"I doubt it."

"Row?"

"He broke it up."

"And you played Quidditch the next day?" Morgana rolled her eyes, he gave an apologetic grin. "Sorry about it, though."

"It's nothing. Doesn't matter. I'm just rather ticked at him right now. You didn't like us together did you?"

"Not crazy about it, no. And it wasn't solely because of me. You two are just too much alike for anything to last long. Plus, now I have to run back and forth between you two since I doubt you'll be conversing."

"That's probably how he felt in third year."

"You know, when we were stuck in the stair last year, I wasn't fully lying."

"Oh?"

"Remus cares about you. I just don't think McKinnon's like that." Morgana nodded and Sirius gave a sly grin. "So, you're available?"

"Yes, but not for you."

"Why not?!"

"There are many reasons, the most recent being that I'm in mourning of a past relationship. Anyway, right now, I'm not in desperate need of a boyfriend."

"What are you in desperate need of, Miss le Fay?"

"A friend. You know, I didn't even tell Lily yet?" He smiled, sometimes she reminded him of a little kid.

"Well, I suppose I can be a temporary solution." He leaned forward and stroked her hair, holding her hand with his free one. "At least until you figure out that I'm an obnoxious git. That Bludger seriously affected your mind." She laughed. "See? Now, go to sleep and dream of me on a flying motorbike."

"Flying motorbikes? Again?"

"I'll get one, one day, you just wait."

"Tell you what, the day you get a flying motorbike, I'll ride on it with you."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'm sure you will."

**OxO**

"Si-i-rius!" Morgana said one morning in a sing-song voice, sliding across the bech to sit opposite of him. No one else was up.

"Wha-a-t?" he said in the same voice.

"You were wr-o-ong!"

"'Bout what?"

"McKinnon. Well, actually you were right, then you were wrong."

"Is that so?"

"He asked me out."

"Really," Sirius went back to his breakfast. Ever since Morgana had stopped dating Remus, he could hardly care who she went out with. Sure, he was slightly jealous- well, rather jealous actually, but in time she'd come around.

"Yep."

"See, now you're reminding me of a kid, what with the annoying voices and smug smirks. And the telling of dear Matthew. Honestly, who does that?"

"Five year olds. Anyway, they've found a replacement for me on the Team, just for the next game."

"Who?"

"Matt's sister, Marlene."

"I didn't know he had a sister. Let alone one in Gryffindor. What year is she?"

"Fourth. She's really quiet. I only met her last night, but she seems nice."

"So tell me, how did Matt ask you?"

"You, Sirius Black, guy who's fawned over me since the end of third year (rather annoyingly I might add), is asking how someone asked me out? Why?"

"Maybe I need a few pointers."

"Hmm, he just asked me after we were coming back from the pitch last night."

"He's two years older than you."

"Actually, he's born the 31st of August, so he's only- what?- 14 months older? Something like that."

"Boy, I thought it was the Bludger that affected your mind. She can't even do math anymore! At least not without being unsure of her answer."

"Fine, he's just over a year older than me."

"So, you like older guys?"

"Oh come on!"

"Do you?"

"Well, considering one's been older and the other was younger..."

"Add Matt."

"I was adding Matt! Two people: Matt and Remus."

"Don't I count for something?"

"I didn't date you."

"You snogged me, that's as good as dating."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Well, considering you snogged that awful girl-"

"I thought we were done with this? That Alyssa Gardner was weird. She asked me to come check out her- what was it?- 'affection group' and then tried to suffocate me with her mouth."

"Yeah, then her brother tries to kill me at Quidditch try-outs. Lily thinks the entire family's out to get me. And no, we're not done with this."

"We should be. Yeah, there's something up with that family."

"I should also play in the next match. Am I going to? No."

"I was stupid, it was in third year. Forget and forgive!"

"I'd love to, Sirius, but I can't."

"What about when you snogged-"

"Look, it's the rest of the band of Merry Men." Sure enough, three figures were trudging towards the table.

"Hey, I never thought about it! You've snogged almost every Marauder!" Sirius said brightly, as the others sat down.

"To my defense, Potter snogged me."

"And I've regretted it ever since."

"Yeah, so did my toothbrush you git."

"So, Morgana, you've snogged four guys in your lifetime?" Sirius inquired.

"Yes, now _do_ stop asking me stupid questions!"

"Wait, who's number four?"

"Didn't you know Moony, our little girl's all growed up and dating Matt McKinnon!"

"Who's Moony?"

"Moony-" Sirius pointed to Remus. "-Wormtail-" he pointed to Peter. "-Prongs-" James. "-And Padfoot-" he pointed to himself. "All names are based on our inner beasts."

"When'd you start dating McKinnon?" Remus said, looking rather appalled.

"He asked me out last night. In fact, I don't know that you could even call it dating."

"It's premeditated. You could easily be found guilty."

"Can it, Sirius."

"But you _have_ snogged 75 of the Marauders." She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Pete, I don't think it'll be 100."

"Damn right it won't."

"Hey!" She shot a disgusted look at Peter.

"No."

"Now, now, Morgana, play nicely!"

"Black, try me. Try me one more time. I dare you."

"Eh, I'll pass for right now. Raincheck."

"You've got quite a few of those."

"Morning all."

"Hey, Lils."

"Go out with me."

"No, Potter. Shut up," Lily said casually, sliding next to Morgana.

"Morgana's dating Matt."

"McKinnon?!"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"When I came back last night, you were patrolling and I fell asleep before you came back. And now you just woke up."

"Oh... well okay then." They continued to eat until Lily exclaimed, "Chris!"

"What about her?" Morgana asked, concerned.

"You know how much she adores Matt!"

"Oh crap, I forgot! I'd better head her off, see if I can talk to her!" she hurried off to the dorms. Sirius watched her go, as always, feeling a pang in his stomach.

**OxO**

"Morning, Chris!" Morgana said brightly as her friend brushed her hair in her school robes.

"Morning, Ana. How long have you been up?"

"Oh, not that long. Hey, can I talk to you?"

"Surely, Shirley. What's up?" Chris said, sitting down, full attention on Morgana.

"Oh, not all that much-"

"And don't call me Shirley!" they said together.

"Okay, seriously though. Do you still fancy McKinnon?"

"Yeah, he's a really decent guy. Catch my drift?"

"Catch it? I'm holding it with all my might."

"So?"

"How would you feel if... hypothetically... he were dating someone?"

"Depends on who he's dating..."

"Ummm... Alyssa Gardner?"

"Despise her. I'd hex her into oblivion."

"Okay... Laurel Gremmers?"

"She's alright. I suppose that wouldn't be so bad. As long as he's dating someone decent, I can handle it. He shouldn't have to stoop low."

"How about... oh... Morgana le Fay?" Chris feigned pondering for a moment.

"Is that that Gryffindor girl? Brown hair, blue eyes, smart, pretty, on the Quidditch Team?"

"Brown hair, blue eyes, I can agree with you on. She's not all that."

"My dear, she is all that and a serving of pudding. I suppose I'd let her date him."

"Well, I heard she is."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes." Chris went back to normal.

"Seriously?"

"As seriously as unseriously Sirius is. Seriously." Chris flopped back on her bed.

"Why must everyone be dating my men?!"

"Who?" She pointed to Ally, who was putting on her socks on her bed.

"Meet the new beau of Sirius Black."

**OxO**

Neither knew how much longer they could take it.

Seeing Morgana snog McKinnon after Quidditch practice was dreadful. While seeing Sirius snog Ally in Morgana's favorite chair was almost too much to handle. O.W.L.s were drawing closer as well. With O.W.L.s came N.E.W.T.s. With them, came boatloads of work.

Both groups of fifth and seventh years had been dating for a few months before the real work came in.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed, dropping his bag on the floor, rattling the window panes. "This is mad! Do you know how much homework we have?!"

"Considering I'm in all your classes and then some, yes, I do believe I know the extent of our assignments," Morgana snapped. "And we have practice tonight!"

"Maybe you could postpone practice, just for tonight," Lily suggested.

"I couldn't do that!"

"Of course she couldn't! Matt might think badly of her!" Sirius said in a fake shocked voice.

"Shut it!"

"Why don't you?!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Why don't you shut up and break up with that idiot!"

"Who died and made you minister? I don't think you have any right to say anything about my personal life!"

"I'll say whatever I damn well please!" At this point, everyone else was upstairs and the two fifth years were the only ones in the Common Room.

"My personal life is just that- MY PERSONAL life!"

"Not that long ago it involved me!"

"Yeah, until you became a man-whore. After that, you got out!"

"Go out with me!"

"You're shouting at me and dating one of my best friends! Besides that, I'm dating!" He slowly walked towards her, his face soft, but his gaze hard.

"What about this?" he murmured, running the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "What if I never raised my voice? What if I always talked like this? How about 'I don't care about her, I care about you?' What if I told you to forget about him, I'd be all you ever needed? What if I promised you everything under the sun and more? Would you consider me then?" Her arms remained cross, jaw set, face stony.

"Not a chance." He twitched his eyebrows and then smirked.

"That's my girl."

**OxO**

As the days went by, the homework load increased. By the time it was a month to the tests, their bags were full of books as were their arms.

"This is madness!" Morgana said, flopping down in her armchair, not even bothering to move the books from her legs.

"This is school," Chris replied, throwing her books on the floor with a huge thud.

"Same difference."

"Hello!" Morgana tilted her head back as someone greeted her cheerfully.

"Hey, Matt." He kissed her head.

"Homework?"

"Loads. You?"

"Loads of loads."

"Then why are you so happy?" He shrugged.

"I'm not doing it at this moment, am I? That, my friend, is what makes it all good. Don't get all 'grr' over the hours spent doing homework, be happy you have a moment not doing it."

"Yes, Confucius. I-" she broke off as there was a loud crash and a pot fell to the floor. All eyes in the room turned towards the corner in which Sirius was viciously snogging Allie. Allie looked appalled but Sirius seemed indifferent.

"Morgana, we need to talk," Matt said suddenly, not taking his eyes away from the pair in the corner. She obliged and they walked out of the Common Room. They slowly walked through the corridors. "Morgana, you know I really like you and all, but... I mean, I'd like to keep dating but... I think we should stop. I-I mean we both have loads of homework because of the exams and... I just don't think we're right for each other like that. I really like you, but, I just can't keep going like this." She smiled.

"Completely understandable. I agree." He looked somewhat shocked, but pleased.

"Well... I'm glad that's settled... so..."

"You know, we had a really great thing going, I think we should just relive old times, you know, keep the memories fresh," she said slyly and then spotted a door behind Matt and said in mock surprise, "Look! An empty classroom! It looks just perfect for something like... snogging, say."

"I couldn't agree more."

**OxO**

"Give five signs to identify a werewolf... gee, that's challenging," Morgana muttered, scribbling down sentence after sentence. She put the final punctuation mark on the question she had saved for last and rolled up her parchment. She gazed across the room, her eyes landing on a chair several desks down from her own. Sirius Black grinned wickedly at her. She shot him a disdainful look and rolled her eyes. He shrugged and looked forward, only to give James the thumbs-up after a few moments. They were given the "finish up" warning and the papers were collected. Morgana rushed over to Lily, who was at the other side of the room, when the tests were finished.

"I think I got question 13 wrong. And then the one with the werewolf-" she began as soon as Morgana was within earshot.

"How could you get question 13 wrong? We learned it ages ago! It's basics. And as for the werewolf one, you know one, how-"

"But I don't run around with him every month, do I? You do."

"Still, I doubt you got it wrong, Lils."

"Let's catch up with Chris, 'k?"

"You started it." They walked down to the edge of the lake where Chris waved them over.

"What's happening?" she asked them.

"Lily thinks she failed, I think I passed, you?"

"No clue. Have you seen Allie?"

"I don't think I failed, I know it! As for Allie, she told me before she'd be running a few minutes later. Something about the Library." Morgana took off her shoes and socks and wiggled her feet in the water, showing Sirius a rude hand gesture as he gave her the eye. They sat in blissful silence for a minute, enjoying the peace.

"At least the exams are almost done. There shouldn't be too much more of the-" BANG! Allie sat down as everyone else started. Morgana whipped around to see the Marauders hexing Snape. "Bloody... Allie, go control your boyfriend."

"We broke up."

"What?"

"Yeah, we just didn't really fit each other."

"When'd this happen?"

"Only a day or two ago."

"Sorry to hear that."

"I'm not too concerned over it. It just wouldn't have worked out."

"Who broke up with who?"

"Actually, it was mostly me. His head just... his mind seemed to be on something else constantly."

"What do you think he was-"

"Hate to interrupt your exciting conversation but is anyone going to come with me?!" Lily exclaimed, exasperated.

"Come with you where?"

"Well, someone has to stop them!"

"I'll-"

"Oh nevermind! You stay here, I'll be right back." Lily got up and stalked off towards the group.

"Thanks for hearing me out!" Morgana shouted to her, but she received no answer. "I was going to help her! Let the record show I was ready to come to her aid..." Morgana muttered, opening a book from her bag.

"Morgana, look!" Morgana turned around, and saw Lily arguing with Potter. They paused for a moment as Snape said something and Morgana distinctly heard him say "Mudblood." Potter roared at him and Lily stalked off towards the castle. Morgana jumped up and followed her while Chris and Ally went over to the Marauders to try to coax them into letting Snape down for Lily's sake.

"LILY!" Morgana called, sprinting after her. "LILY WAIT!" The red head was now jogging up the steps. "Would you- LILY EVANS! Slow down!" Morgana eventually caught up with her friend whose face was a shade of bright red. Lily swore loudly causing nearby paintings to reprimand her. "Hey, hey, hey! Go easy on her!"

"Honestly, the nerve of adolescents these days!"

"Have they no class?"

"SHUT IT WILL YOU! Lily, what's wrong?"

"I thought he was different! I thought he didn't belong where he was!" They stepped into the Common Room. "I thought he was different!" she wailed, kicking the wall.

"Snape? Different from what?"

"Them! All of them! All the bloody Slytherins! They're so obsessed and immersed in their pure-blood mania, I thought he didn't care!" They slowly trudged up the steps, sagging under the weight of their book bags, a few tears cascading down Lily's cheeks.

"What'd he do?"

"I tried to stop those gits from bullying him and he calls me a mudblood for my efforts!"

"Hasn't he called other people... that, though?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then he can't be too bright. I know he tends associates blood status with intellect and if he looks down at your because of your blood, that means he thinks he's superior to you in brains- the guy's an imbecile."

"He's become so absorbed in the Dark Arts, I thought maybe I could change him. I thought he didn't belong in Slytherin. Did you hear what his 'friends' did to that 4th year, Mary?"

"Who didn't? The war's going on outside of school, anything dark that happens inside just seems to make it worse."

"I guess. I just thought... Well, I thought Petunia was wrong."

"Snape's rather possessive of you, if you don't mind me saying."

"I know, he thinks- or thought- he was my only friend." They flopped down on their beds, Morgana stared up at the ceiling. "You never liked him, did you?"

"He was one of the first compartments I came to with kids of my age on my first day. He turned me away immediately. He always seemed like a git to me."

"So, pretending to be his friend...?"

"All for your sake. By the way, you owe me a years worth of de-greasing soap." Lily laughed. "The bloke doesn't wash his hair!"

"Wait, didn't you get him a Christmas present one year."

"Shampoo. I gave it to him and I've never seen anyone run so fast in my life!" Lily laughed even harder.

"He didn't really run, did he?"

"No, I don't know what he did, I just sent it to the Common Room... with a strongly worded Christmas note." Lily smiled and wiped off her face as she sat up.

"Being silly... honestly, he is a git, isn't he?"

"Quite the git."

"I don't want a git, I hate gits."

"You do hate gits."

"Therefore, he's... nothing to me."

"Exactly." Morgana nodded once, Lily mirrored her actions. They sat in silence for a moment, Lily picked at her bedspread. "So, what's up with you and Black?" Morgana rolled over and propped herself up on an elbow.

"Miss Evans, there is nothing 'up' with Black and me."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then what was the whole conversation with Allie about their break-up?"

"Nothing, I was just trying to make small talk."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"You don't believe me!"

"Of course not."

"I'm offended."

"Hmm."

"I'm-" Chris and Ally walked in.

"Hey all! Lils, what happened out there?" Lily sighed and told Chris and Ally what had happened. Allie's eyebrows were raised and Chris was nodding slowly, her lips pursed.

"You know what we should do?" the latter said.

"What?"

"Have a girls' night!" She was greeted by laughter from the other three. "What? It could be fun! We'll get in our pajamas, and paint our nails the muggle way, do our hair in weird styles... play Truth or Dare..."

"Well I see the danger in this already!" Morgana said. "I can only imagine the dares!"

"Fine, we can play Truth or Truth, but it'll be fun! Just think, no one present has a guy in their life anymore (other than relatives)."

"I'm in," Allie declared.

"Me too." Lily was the only one left.

"Why not? I'm in."

**OxO**

"So, let me get this straight: Allison Etherson once kissed a guy she didn't know! Be still my heart!"

"Like you haven't, Miss Christina! Let's face it, you're rather boy-crazy."

"Hey, it'll come in handy later! I'll have plenty to chose from!"

"What if you-"

"Lily?" Mary Macdonald was at the door.

"Yes?"

"There's a boy downstairs who refuses to leave the portrait hole until you come down."

"Potter?"

"Snape," she said coldly, clearly remembering what had been done to her at the hands of his friends. There was a stony silence in the air.

"'Scuse me, girls, I have a slimy, prejudiced, oily, evil, greasy git to attend to," Morgana got up and smoothed her pajama pants, noticing she was the only girl not wearing a night gown. She grabbed her wand and turned for the door.

"Morgana, I should take care of it."

"Not alone!"

"I can handle myself."

"I want to get my two cents in!" Mary left the doorway and went downstairs. Lily opened her mouth to say something when a thought struck Morgana.

"I'll use the Cloak and won't come out until I need to!"

"I'll leave the portrait hole open and you can see what we're doing, maybe not hear, but see at least. It's rather loud downstairs."

"I'll go see the Marauders and meet me by my chair in a few minutes."

"Gotcha." Morgana ran down the stairs and across to the boys' dormitories, sprinting up the stairs two at a time. "Ah, there you are!" Morgana hugged Sirius and grabbed the silvery cloak from James, who was standing behind Sirius.

"Hey! We were going to use that!"

"I'll be done with it in about 5 minutes!"

"No, we need it now! We have to find up what Snape's doing outside the Common Room for over an hour!"

"That's what I'm- hang on. How do you know-"

"My dear Morgana, feast your eyes on _this_!" Sirius said, showing her a blank bit of parchment sitting on the bed. "Go on. Tap it with your wand and say something."

"Like what?"

"Like anything. It isn't necessarily a spell either." She gave him a suspicious look and tapped the parchment with her wand while saying different phrases as James walked over to Peter and Remus at the other side of the room.

"What have the Marauders been up to?" Nothing. "What the bloody hell is this parchment supposed to do?" Nada. "What are you made for? What's your purpose?" A dot of black appeared on the parchment. She gave it a quizzical look. "Come on, you can tell me!"

"Tell it your name," Sirius instructed. She furrowed her brow at him and tapped the parchment again.

"I am Morgana le Fay." Writing began to scrawl across the parchment as if an invisible hand were scribbling across its surface. Morgana slowly sat down on the bed as she read, Sirius sat next to her.

_'Mr. Moony would like to thank Miss le Fay for being there for him and appreciates her kindess over the recent years.'_

_'Mr. Wormtail wishes Miss le Fay a very good day and would like to thank her for reading over his potions essay.'_

_'Mr. Prongs would like to say that Miss le Fay is a great witch, though she does need to lay off of the schoolwork a bit. He advises her to read further for a way to ease off the schooling slightly.' _

Morgana looked up, the next Marauder would be Sirius. He gestured for her to read on.

_'Mr. Padfoot expresses his sincere apologies for all the crap he's done to Miss le Fay over the years. He wants nothing more than for her to go out with him and feel half as much for him as he does for her... He also wants her to call him 'Sirius' from now on, because 'Black' is just so damn cruel.'_

She looked up at Sirius who was staring into her eyes. He said it. He had actually said it. Well, maybe not "said" it, but in a sense he had. She had waited for a real attempt, a true attempt from him, and now that she had it, she couldn't accept it. Her heart said yes, but her mind said no.

"I-I'm sorry, but I can't... I'm so... so sorry. I just... I can't."

"Morgana, it's-"

"No, it's not alright. You try and you try and I wait... I wait and when I get what I'm waiting for... I can't accept it because I'm going mental over you!"

"Morgana, I-" she got up and rushed from the room. "Take your time!" he called after her.

**

* * *

A/N**: Alright my poor, puffed-up poppin-jays. I know, I haven't updated in... let's call it a while. I've been working lately, heaps of homework, my friend's grandma's sick and they're really close... I know, crap excuses. That and I keep getting sick. I'm going to be off quite a bit in the next two weeks and will try to write chapter 14 (which is sure to be good!) between doing various science projects. 

Happy Birthday to Morgana! If she weren't fictional, she'd be 47! I also celebrated my birthday with her. Pirate birthday cakes rock!

This is a very long chapter if you haven't noticed. Very long. Not quite a Chapter 9 or even 10, but long nonetheless. Ending was rather abrupt, but hey, I made it that far, so no complaints from me. Well, it was rather odd and volatile (hah! I used a vocab word in my daily life!) and Sirius was harsh and then really sweet, but oh well. You have to admit, he is rather moody.

Okay, so, I'm off. I hope you enjoyed the fic and if you aren't too upset with me and my non-updating ways, feel free to review, PM me, and/or stay tuned for the next chapter (be sure to do that last one)!

Cheers!,

Dot


	14. Hey Jude

**A/N**: Third and a half time I rewrote this. I had a decent part of it written out and the computer went wacko and I lost it. GAH! So mad. I'm one of those people with bad luck so they constantly save documents- the one I don't frantically press Ctrl+S on, I lose. God has a crazy and pathetic sense of humor.

**Disclaimer**: Yadda, yadda, yadda- I own so little of this, it's shameful. The title isn't even mine! Honestly, where is that "creativity" people say I must have? I've never seen a lick of it! I want my money back!

**Warning**: Mild swearing will occur at the lips of… someone. I haven't decided yet considering I'm writing this before I'm writing the chappie… I swear so much in real life, that I don't need to swear here.

* * *

_**Chapter 14- Hey Jude**_

Sirius Black and James Potter sauntered down the Hogwarts Express, a badge bearing a shining "P" gleaming on the latter's chest.

"James! Sirius!" They whipped around.

"Hey, Pete! Nice summer?" The smallest boy eyed the badge on James' chest.

"Not bad. Prongs, you really shouldn't steal from Moony, he has more dignity than we do."

"I didn't steal it."

"I thought those badges had an anti-duplicate spell on them! Nice!"

"Not that either."

"Our ickle Jamsies is a Prefect," Sirius said, looking at his friend in disapproval.

"But that's-"

"Against the Marauder way-of-life which is based on disobeying authority, not being one of them. Excepting Moony because he is Moony and has special excepting powers," Sirius recited. Peter looked flabbergasted.

"That's disgusting."

"Watch who you're calling disgusting!"

"Well, it's true!" Sirius sighed, crossing his arms.

"When'd you get the letter?"

"Two weeks ago. Thought Padfoot'd kill me."

"What're the people going to say? The poor victims of our immature pranks? 'I got pranked by the gorgeous Sirius Black and Prefect Potter'? It's insane! I pity you, mate."

"Honestly though. Just because I'm a prefect doesn't mean that I have to use my power for good. I'll abuse it."

"No, we have to keep you in there so that you can get up to Head Boy next year and cause complete chaos in the system! Did you listen to a word I said the past few weeks?"

"Past few weeks? You were at James' house?" Peter inquired.

"Yeah, I ran off. I couldn't take the Black Family Pureblood Mania Course anymore, so I left. That was three weeks into break. Of course you wouldn't know, Mr. Majorca."

"Very nice place, actually."

"Well, like I said we need to keep you in the position or there'll be a... You're not listening _now_!" Sirius waved a hand in front of James' face. "Hello?! Anyone home?"

"Evans..." he said dreamily. Sirius followed his gaze, Lily was getting on board, her head turned the opposite direction as she talked to someone behind her. Morgana emerged, replying to Lily's comment with a laugh, scrunching the back of her brown hair with her hand. She glanced over at him and gave a small smile, flashed the peace sign and followed Lily away from the boys.

"Well now no one's listening!" Peter squeaked.

"Sorry, Worm, but absence makes the heart grow fonder," Sirius said, leading the other two into a compartment.

"Merlin, Evans looks good," James said after sitting for a moment, grinning at his fingernails as the train slowly departed from the station.

"You say that every time you see her," a new voice said.

"Hey, Moony!"

"Hey, James. Aren't you supposed to be in the Prefects' compartment?" James immediately jumped up and rushed from the compartment, his swearing cut off by the door sliding shut.

"I'll be right back. Only take a minute..." Sirius said quickly, exiting the compartment and walking towards the back of the train, he turned to look back once to see James sprinting down to the front of the train. He strolled for a minute or two, grinning at a few people he knew, showing a choice finger to others that he had the displeasure of knowing. He came to his destination and poked his head in. "Morgana?" She looked up from her book. Perfect, she was alone.

"Hey, Sirius. Sit down." He sat down opposite of her, resting his elbows on his knees and looking down at the floor.

"So..."

"Sirius, I've got to-"

"I left." She blinked at him, uncertain.

"What?"

"My parents' house. I left. I couldn't take another word of their pureblood lectures so I left, three weeks into break. You should have seen Mummy, she had a right little tantrum." Morgana covered her mouth with her hand.

"Did they hurt you?"

"She flung a few choice items at me, but missed. Hit me with some hex though, Prongs's dad healed it."

"How'd you get out? Broom?"

"Nah, I managed to get to the fireplace and Floo there before she did too much damage." She walked over to sit beside him.

"I'm proud of you. You put up with it for so long, but you got out."

"Thanks, love. But that was basically my only option."

"You were brave... But that was rather stupid too. These aren't ideal times to escape from your parents' house."

"Was I suppose to sit there and take their crap? All I heard about was how everyone's horrible, except purebloods. Anyone that's a decent pureblood is a traitor. Voldemort's got it all right. Morgana... they curse everyone that means a thing to me. I couldn't take that anymore. I took it for sixteen years and I believe that I deserve an award for that."

"In time, it'll pay off."

"How would you know? You've got a good family! One that doesn't hate everything you stand for!" She placed a hesitant hand on his cheek, trying to calm him.

"I know. I know. If your fa-"

"No!" he pushed her away and stood up. "You don't know! Can you tell your parents about your friends? Did your parents ever hex you or throw things at you? Have you ever come home to parents that wouldn't care if you were alive or dead, and quite frankly, wish for the latter?"

"No," she whispered.

"No! No, you haven't! I go the entire summer without a single pleasant look, without a smile, without a laugh! I had to get out of there! What would you have done?!"

"I- I don't know..."

"Well why not?! You seem to know everything else! You know what's best for me, what's safe, what's not! You know just about every spell out there and how to get potion ingredients and what's right! You know what it's like to have a decent family!"

"I know only what I've experienced and read- no more, no less."

"Well how very lovely for you!"

"Sirius-"

"If you ever came-"

"Sirius-"

"I-"

"Sirius!"

"What?"

"I know I have an amazing family and a damn-near perfect life, but I don't believe that gives you any right or reason to shout at me!" He seemed to seethe for a moment more but then sighed and unclenched his fists, taking his seat once more.

"Sorry."

"That's quite alright," she said rather stiffly, her arms crossed. "I just don't appreciate being yelled at."

"Understandable."

"I was just saying that you should have told someone. Did you even write to James in advance?"

"No. I just left..." he suddenly realized how stupid that decision was.

"What if something had happened to you? You don't show up at James', no one except your family knows that you're missing until September 1st comes along. Suddenly, you're gone and no one (no one decent, that is) knows where you are!"

"I should have thought."

"Yeah, you should have!" She looked like she would have quite liked to hit him.

"Worried you, eh?"

"Well, frankly, the thought that you would leave from a situation like that without sending word to anyone... the thought that it didn't occur... doing something rash like that and not telling anyone else!" He put a hand on either of her shoulders, holding her at arm's length.

"Believe you me, I had reasons not to get into any sort of trouble- you'd kill me, bring me back to life, and then kill me again. Not to mention the damage you could do in between steps two and three. Scary thought." She sighed.

"You are the world's biggest git."

"I know. But what would you do without me?"

"Oh, I'm sure I could find something to do."

"Something boring!"

"Something calm. I don't even notice your pranks anymore. I have this unnatural instinct that tells me exactly when to duck incase of a prank."

"You're life would be miserable without me. Imagine your ducking reflexes!"

"Yeah, I can play dodgeball amazingly," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"What's that?"

"It's a muggle game where you dodge balls that another team throws at you." There was a wild gleam in his eyes.

"Do tell, my love..."

**OxO**

"Morgana? Ready?"

"'Course." Morgana left her book unattended and slipped under the Invisibility Cloak with the four boys.

"Bloody... we grew! Wormtail'll need to transform."

"Why me?"

"You're the smallest animal. Now get on with it."

"James! That was my foot!"

"Worm's crawling on my head!"

"Pads, get your hand out of my face!" They made their way to the first floor, whispering furiously until they made it to the door which began to click on the other side.

What was that?" Morgana whispered, barely audible. James shrugged. "Where's the Map?"

"It got confiscated last year." Morgana mouthed a swearword and they stood for a moment, frozen. "I think it's safe to go." They continued to tiptoe down to the door when it flew open.

"I think it was that ruddy cat o' yers!"

"Mrs. Prachett had nothing to do with those chickens!"

"I'm tellin' ya! There're a cat's teeth marks here!"

"Nonsense!" The three slipped past Hagrid and Filch just before they closed the door. They could hear the students laughing as they filed past the door coming back from a late supper. They hurried towards the Whomping Willow just as darkness fell on the grounds.

"Just missed 'em!" Sirius grinned, running alongside Morgana, the Cloak fluttering just above their ankles. She gave him a 'you-can-smile-when-the-night's-over' look. "Count your blessings, Morgana. Save up those glares for the rest of the year." She rolled her eyes but said nothing. This being the first full moon of the school year, she was a bit more worried than usual and wasn't tickled over Sirius' lack of regard.

"Lighten up, Morgana. Padfoot and I won't let anything happen to anyone."

"You won't be the judge of that, James."

"No, but we can prevent as much as possibly possible. And may I say, if we put our minds to it, we can accomplish a lot," Sirius said in a comforting voice.

"Tell that to your potions essay." Sirius grinned once more.

"There's my little uptight bookworm. Now- out from under the Cloak, my pets. Wormtail, my good man, if you would be so kind..." Sirius took out his wand and turned to the two remaining before throwing the Cloak into the edge of the woods. "Gentleman and lady, I wish us all the best of luck. Not that we'll need it, _Morgana_."

"I'm just saying, a werewolf doesn't care how ruggedly handsome or prank-wise you are, or even if you're the best friend of the person it is m-"

"Prongs, you're my witness. Morgana called me hot and wise."

"I didn't say that's what_ I _believed, that's what _you_ believe."

"Oh, you think that too. Let's face it, I'm gorgeous and clever."

"And modest," she added sarcastically.

"What would you do without me?"

"Would you like a list?"

"Let's face it, love, without me your life would be boring and monotonous."

"What _is_ monotony? I wouldn't mind trying it one day." She gave him an annoyed glare as the two boys transformed, but followed suit. As they made their way into the usual room, the werewolf could be heard, thumping about upstairs, already transformed and knocking the chair. James entered first, hesitantly. Morgana made to follow him, but Sirius came up to her, walking next to her to guard her from the wolf which looked up, but paid them no attention other than that. The night seemed as though it would be uneventful. Remus was rather calm, considering the moon, and was more preoccupied with the armchair than anything. They had made it almost entirely through the night with about two hours until dawn when something inside the werewolf snapped.

Morgana was sitting by the wall, Sirius next to her when the wolf lunged at them, gnashing its teeth. The others scrambled in one direction as Morgana fled away from them to the opposite side of the room. The werewolf followed her, sensing her weakness and snapping at her tail. She ran under a low table in the corner as the wolf lost its footing and hit the floor for a moment. She was trapped. The only open side of the table was the one facing the wolf- she would have to run for it. She shot out from the under the table, inches from the wolf as it snapped its powerful jaws at her back leg. She slid towards James as he galloped at the wolf, head down. She hit the wall, dazed for a moment and looked around. Peter and James had been in this corner, but where was Sirius? She whipped around.

'Never where he's supposed to be!' Sirius was nipping at anything he could reach on the werewolf. Remus turned his attention to the dog, lashing out at him and pushing James out of the way to the opposite wall where he fell, barely stirring on the floor. Morgana rushed up to help Sirius who was sprinting around the room, the wolf at his heels. Remus rammed into an armchair which landed on top of the dog. The wolf made to sink his teeth into Sirius when Morgana leapt at him, biting onto its ear with all her might. The wolf howled in rage as Sirius pulled free of the chair and Morgana was thrown to the floor. From the corner of her eye, she saw James get up and shake his head. The wolf bit into Morgana's front left leg, causing her to cry out in pain. Sirius rammed into the werewolf, letting out three sharp barks. She made to pounce on the lycanthrope but was pushed back by James. He forced her down and out of the Willow and to the forest, despite her best efforts to get away.

"Dammit, James! What do you think you're doing?!" She yelled after he forced her to transform.

"What he told me to do!"

"Sirius is in there, alone! How the hell did he tell you to do something!"

"That's the signal! Three barks and I have to take you out of there!"

"Well, you've done your part, now I'm going back!" She tried to fight past him with no avail. "Let me through!"

"I can't! I can't let you get past!"

"Well then you go back! Someone has to help him! He's all alone!"

"I'm no good! I'll put him in more danger!"

"How?!" He showed her his right arm which looked to be dislocated and was bleeding freely. "James, I have to go back!"

"You're hurt too." She looked at the arm he gestured to, her left arm had a long gash down the side of it. She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter! Give me my wand and I'll heal it!"

"No."

"James... give me my wand."

"I-" He broke off as someone came up behind them, Peter was jogging up to them.

"Sirius is in there. It's really bad!"

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious!" Morgana snapped, crossing her arms and shooting a glare at James before turning back to Peter.

"Remus is getting out! He's getting closer to the tunnel!" Morgana and James exchanged a look of mixed emotions.

"I made him a promise and I have to keep it."

"For Melin's sake, James! You never listen to anyone except for Sirius at his most idiotic!"

"He's my best mate, I have to!"

"Then let me go! Let me go back and help him!"

"Morgana, I want nothing more in the world than to help him right now, but I'm bound! I have no choice!"

"You have to go back on it! If something-" A wolf howled from the Willow, it wasn't far. James pulled Morgana towards the forest with his good arm.

"RUN!" They sprinted into the woods, Peter panting behind them as they crashed through the undergrowth.

"Where do we go?!"

"Anywhere! Anywhere safe!" He pulled her along, glancing back and running even faster than before. They pushed deeper into the forest, barely able to see until James lit a wand. A few minutes later, he pushed her into a mass of a thorny plant. "Get in there!" They pushed aside branches with huge thorns on them until they reached the tree they were growing around where there was about a meter of space around the trunk. "There, we should have enough cover here." Morgana slid down the tree trunk, panting and nursing her injured arm. "Want me to heal it?"

"It's be great if you would." He pulled out his wand and muttered a charm causing Morgana's arm to turn pink and feel incredibly warm. She surveyed it, where the gash had been was now only light pink. "Wow, you can really heal." Peter sat down next to James as he replied.

"Uh-huh, I've got a huge favor to ask." She raised her eyebrows as he looked down at his shoulder and looked back up at her, sheepishly grinning at her astonished face. "If you just pull it with a bit of a twist, it should snap right back-"

"Why don't you wait until we get back up to the castle?!"

"Morgana, please... I'm in a lot of pain right now... just... please." She pondered him for a moment, he gave her a pleading look and she gave in.

"Just pull it?"

"Just pull it." She positioned herself and gently took hold of his arm.

"On five." He nodded, grimacing and clenching his other fist. "Peter, give him something to bite into. There's a lad. James, I have no clue what I'm doing... Oh Merlin, what did I get myself into?... Alright. One... Two... Three-" She popped his arm as she had seen it done in the movies. He cried out, biting down hard into the stick Peter had placed in his mouth. "James, I'm so, so sorry! Merlin, I knew we should have waited! What if there's permanent damage?! I knew I did it wrong! I-"

"Morgana, calm down. It's... it's fine. It just really hurt," he panted, massaging the shoulder and wincing.

"Can you move it?"

"Yeah, it's a bit iffy though. Relax, it's normal." She sighed in relief but then began to worry for a completely different black-haired boy.

"James! He's all alone! What if something happens to him?! What if he's hurt or- or-"

"Relax. He's a Marauder! He's Sirius Black! He'll be fine!"

"Then why are you so afraid?" He opened his mouth, but said nothing, putting his face in his shaking hands after a few moments. She moved and laid back against the tree, a huge lump in her throat.

"He's my brother! If anything happens to him... If anything happens to him, I don't know what I'll do!" James said, his voice muffled. She leaned towards him, speaking as softly as she could.

"Then let me go after him." He looked up, his eyes were the dullest she had ever seen them.

"Morgana, you're a capable witch. One of the brightest I know, but even you wouldn't understand. Sirius made me... I- I can't. There's a certain promise that I... I just can't." She wasn't sure she wanted to know more.

"If something happens to him, I'll kill him and then you."

"I'll hold you to it." She heard Peter hiccup from the opposite side of the tree. She leaned back against the tree trunk again, letting her arms sit limp on her knees which were pulled up to her chest.

"Alright Peter?"

"Fine!" he squeaked, his voice betraying his words. Morgana took a shuddering breath and put her arms up to her head. She allowed silent tears to flow freely down her face, not bothering to wipe them off. A thousand horrible possibilities crossed her mind.

_'Stay positive, Morgana...'_

How? How could she when all she could think about was Sirius alone with a werewolf at the full moon? There was absolutely nothing she could do but sit there in defeat and hopelessness. If Sirius was alright and she went after him, she might get both of them into a worse situation than they were already in. Besides, how could she leave without James knowing? If she readjusted her foot he turned his head towards her!

'_I told him life would be better without him… I told him I didn't need him… What an idiot! What if he never comes back? Oh, God, no…'_

She snorted in her mind. Look at her now. _'Sooo, much better off. Yeah, right.'_

They sat there until dawn came, speaking only to find out the time. When the first light came through the trees, Morgana spotted a silhouette through the small opening in the thorns.

"Sirius!" she breathed. She jumped up and fought through the thorns as they pulled at her robes and began to call out his name as she burst through the undergrowth. "Sirius!" He fell against a tree, sliding down the trunk to half lay, half sit at its roots. Morgana rushed to his side, her face pale with fright. "Sirius? Come on, love..."

"Miss me?" he said softly, eyes blearily opening. She breathed a silent sigh, still rather worried and taking his hand in hers.

"Are you... how badly...?" Morgana asked anxiously.

"Mostly I'm tired. A few scratches here and there. I had a pretty bad gash, but I managed to heal the better- or worse- part of it, I reckon."

"Where?"

"Back of my shoulder. I couldn't see all that well and I was in a hurry so, it's not the best healing job in the world. You could've done a better job on it, Prongs. Hey, what's wrong?" James had come up behind Morgana and was staring at him, white as a ghost, eyes wide.

"You scared the hell outta me, that's what!"

"Well, then I must have scared you quite a bit. Hopefully, not all the hell's scared out of you, many a prank left-"

"It didn't look like you had too many pranks left ahead of _you_, for a minute there."

"Relax, mate. It'll take more than Remus- even at his time of the month- to get me down and keep me there," Sirius looked around. "Alright, Pete?" Peter nodded shakily. Sirius turned back to James. "Did you see where Remus got to?"

"No, we ran for it as soon as he got out, I don't think he made it that far in."

"I lost him an hour ago and tracked you three to here. Do you think he's alright?"

"Madam Pomfrey'll find him." Sirius nodded and looked up at Morgana. "Pete, why don't you and I go and do that... thing... over there..." James said, getting up and leading Peter away behind a few trees. Sirius and Morgana said nothing for a few minutes, staring at each other, until Morgana spoke.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she whispered dangerously, her eyes glinting.

"Worried you, eh?"

"Well, being gone while a werewolf's on the loose..."

"Glad I can keep you on your toes-"

"Then when we finally see you again, you fall over. I didn't think you'd get back up!" Sirius gave her hand a reassuring squeeze which she returned. He switched the subject a bit.

"No trouble through the night?"

"None. We just sat there. You gave us quite possibly the worst scare yet, Sirius." He grinned.

"So worried about me? Wow, if I'd have known that..."

"Maybe we should continue this conversation later. We've got to get you out of here before classes and before Madam Pomfrey tries to find Remus. Can you sit up?" He sat up slowly and then stood, swaying a bit.

"A little woozy, but not all that bad." They slowly walked to where James and Peter had disappeared to.

"I don't know that you should go to classes. Maybe you should stay in the dorm for today."

"Couldn't agree more."

"I'll stay with you, if you like," Morgana offered, shrugging.

"You? Skip classes?"

"Well, someone should. If James or Peter stays the teachers'll think something's up." He looked over at her and grinned.

"Grown on you, haven't I?"

"Like a fungus."

"You always said that you loved mushrooms." She rolled her eyes, smiling widely in spite of herself.

"You're impossible."

"Nothing's impossible, merely improbable."

"You're improbable, then. Anyway, I'm not missing the whole day. The first part of my day is mainly break and study hall. I have potions for second period. I'll be going to classes after lunch."

"What'll you tell Slughorn?"

"He probably won't care. If he asks I'll just... come up with something."

"Ah, there is a small bit of Marauder in you, I know it."

"There is no Marauder in me, nor will there be Marauder in me. It's called lying."

"The Marauders invented lying, we just weren't around yet." She chuckled.

"That makes no sense."

"Precisely."

"We really do talk about useless things, don't we?"

"My dear, no time spent with you could ever be useless." She laughed softly again.

"Why Mr. Black, I'm almost blushing."

"What could I do to eliminate the 'almost'?"

"Alright children! Flirt time is over, we've got an injured git to sneak back into school!"

"Prongs, you have terrible timing."

"Well, I'm sure you two'll finish the conversation in the near future. Right now, we've got to get back up to the castle. You two had a whole five minutes of 'special' time, the first four of which you just stared at each other. If something hadn't happened by now, another thirty seconds wouldn't have done any more for you."

"We didn't have five minutes! More like three! Anyway, thank you for those kind and subtle words."

"I says 'em as I sees 'em, Padfoot," James confessed, shrugging.

"What were you doing, watching us?" Morgana said, slightly suspicious.

"All in due time, Little Miss." She had a feeling that profit was involved in some way- a bit of loss and a bit of gain, as was the Marauder way. She ignored it.

They made an uneventful journey through the forest, stopping only to huddle under the Cloak, Peter turning into a rat once more.

"There's Madam Pomfrey," Morgana whispered once they reached the edge of the woods. Sure enough, the dark-haired Healer was making her way out of the Whomping Willow looking rather distraught.

"She's going back up to the castle!"

"What if she doesn't find him?"

"Pete, this is the Wizarding World. There are magical ways of finding people."

"Still, what if he's really hurt and she doesn't find him in time."

"Sirius, did you see how badly he was hurt?" Morgana asked, looking slightly anxious.

"No offense, but I wasn't really looking. I was fighting for five lives there. I tried to do as little damage as possible but no promises."

"I have an idea..." Morgana whispered. "We'll need to run though." They followed Morgana's lead until they were out of sight of Madam Pomfrey, she quickly patched up her robes and had James heal a few visible cuts.

"What good'll this do?"

"Well, I have to make it look like I'm going for a walk, don't I?" She threw the Cloak off and rounded the corner of the Forest.

"Morgana! Get back here!" Sirius hissed furiously.

"Madam Pomfrey? Are you looking for something?" Sirius grit his teeth as he heard Morgana call to the Healer.

"Miss le Fay! What are you doing out here?"

"I fancied a walk, I couldn't sleep well last night." Sirius, James, and the transformed Peter began to follow Morgana from a distance. She was walking towards a harried-looking Madam Pomfrey, the younger had her hands in her pockets. "Are you looking for something?" she repeated.

"Oh, well, Hagrid said there was a very dangerous animal loose last night. I came to see if there was anyone hurt. You haven't seen anyone, have you?" She clenched her jaw at the phrase "very dangerous animal" but kept her calm.

"No, but I did hear a few strange noises coming from the Forest and there _is_ some broken undergrowth at the edge of the trees."

"Really dear? Where exactly, I'll check if anyone's in there."

"Over back by the Willow, straight back. Would you like me to show you?"

"That's alright, I think I'll find it easily enough. Now, hurry along to your dormitory. If you hear anything like that again, I don't want you to linger, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you so much for your help dear! Five points to Gryffindor."

"Thank you, ma'am." Morgana and Madam Pomfrey headed in opposite directions. "Sirius? You there?" she whispered, walking back up to the castle.

"To your left, love." She felt something brush against her left arm and felt ten times better.

"Wonderful," she murmured sincerely. She opened the door and let them inside, checking the corridor. "All clear." There was a moment when the Cloak fluttered about threes pairs of ankles before Peter, James, and Sirius took the cloak off, James shoving it in his robes.

"Well, we made it through another night, lads and love," Sirius said, yawning. "I'm beat."

"We all are."

"If we get back up to the dorms, we could get a bit of rest before classes."

"Ah, but Prongs, Miss le Fay believes that I should stay in the dorm for the beginning of the day considering all I did last night."

"Morgana, you're a life saver!"

"I didn't say that you should stay too."

"Well, someone's got to stay with him! He'll get into loads of trouble without someone else there!"

"Which is why I'm staying as well, just for the morning."

"Why you?!"

"One, I'll keep him out of trouble far better than you would. Two, I've only got one actual class this morning- potions. Three, it'll be suspicious if the two of you are both out."

"What's in it for me? I could stay as well, you know, whether you like it or not."

"Well, I'll be gone, Sirius'll be gone- You'd probably get Lily as a potions partner for today." James' eyes widened.

"Deal."

"I'll have to make it up to Lily later."

"You're sacrificing your best friend for little ol' me? I'm touched, Morgana," Sirius said.

"Hmm" was all she could muster for a reply. They continued up to the Common Room without conversation, except for James' muttering of, "Evans'll be my potions partner today!" or "Blimey! I can't wait 'til potions!"

"Kneazle," they said in unison as they came to the Fat Lady.

"Up early, you four are! Hang on a moment... when did you leave?"

"Before we came. Now can we please get in?" Sirius asked. The portrait swung open and they clambered in.

"Alright, guys. You go up to your dorm, I have to go talk to Lily."

"Are you going to be coming over?" Sirius questioned, trying to look innocent.

"Yes, I will be. I'd rather not anyone see me." She trudged up the steps to the girls' dorm, a break for the first half of the day would be most welcome. "Lily?" she pulled back the curtain of her best friend's four-poster. "Lily? Wake up, would you?" The red-head turned over, half asleep.

"Wazzup? How's the night?"

"That's the thing..."

"Oh, God! What happened?!" Lily exclaimed, immediately awake.

"Shh! Here, lemme in." Lily scooted over so that Morgana could sit on the bed and tell her what happened.

"Is he alright?!"

"Sirius? He's fine, I think. I'm going to stay with him for the morning though."

"Alright."

"But... I kinda... toldPotteryoudbehispotionspartner..." she mumbled quickly.

"You WHAT!?"

"Shut it! You'll wake Chris and Allie up! It's just for today! It's the only way he'd go to classes. I don't need to deal with both of them!"

"So I get Potter?!"

"Only for one class! Please, Lily? He can't be too bad. He's probably exhausted! He got hurt last night and I'm sure he didn't sleep much, if at all." She gave Morgana a stony glare.

"Fine, but you owe me so much."

"Excellent. Now, I have to head up to the boys'. I'll see you at lunch then? Unless you want to come up to the boys' dorms."

"Alright. I might come up during break to see how you're doing."

"Thanks, Lils. Cover for me, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"You rock, Lily Evans!"

"Tell me something I don't know." Morgana waved and left the dorm to go over to the boys'; she knocked on the door.

"Come in, love." She walked in, the three boys were on the bed, Sirius unbuttoning his shirt. "James is gonna check out my shoulder," he said, answering her silent question.

"Isn't it amazing, Morgana, how he manages to get shirtless in front of you whenever the opportunity arrives?" James said, inspecting Sirius' shoulder.

"Do unto others- the Golden Rule..." Sirius responded, gritting his teeth.

"Once more and I'll poke that shoulder of yours," Morgana said threateningly, sitting down next to him.

"You did a poor healing job, mate."

"Well, I _was_ trying to get away from a werewolf. I had to transform, heal it, and transform back in a matter of seconds. _Do_ excuse..." Morgana opened her mouth to say something. "Morgana, no offense to you, but now is really not the time to tell me how foolish that was. As a matter of fact, it wasn't all that foolish, I would have been torn to bits because I would have gotten caught and-"

"Actually, I _was _going to back you up. But if that's how you feel..."

"Sorry, it just seemed like you were-" he jerked uncomfortably as James muttered some incantation. Reflexively, Morgana put a hand on Sirius' other shoulder and crawled over on her knees to see what James was doing.

"Hold still, will you? There's a bunch of gunk in it!" James said, slightly exasperated. "Hey, I'm not all that pleased about it either." James continued to look at the shoulder, muttering swearwords mingled in with incantations. "Half of it's not even healed!" There was another minute of silence. "Okay, this might hurt..." James began to trace a pattern across the half-healed gash, muttering a charm. Morgana saw Sirius stiffen and slipped her hand in his. He hesitated a moment, but squeezed it tightly a second later. After a minute or two, James withdrew his wand and stepped back.

"_Viola_!"

"James! You can barely see where it was!" Morgana traced her finger along the light pink line on Sirius' shoulder, barely making contact with his skin. "If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't notice!" She had to admit, James was brilliant with healing spells, even if he did sometimes have the maturity of a small child.

"Well, glad that's over with... is anyone else starving?" Sirius asked lightly, checking the injury in a mirror.

"When Peter and I go down to breakfast, we'll go down early and bring some back up for you two." Morgana walked over to the window.

"I think Madam Pomfrey found Remus." The Healer disappeared into the Whomping Willow, looking behind her as she entered. "I suppose she'll get him up here later on when there's dinner or something. Do you think he's alright?"

"Was she carrying him?"

"No."

"Then he's fine."

"He can't be too bad off, I wasn't too hard on him last night and he was running pretty well."

"Well, he'll be fine in a month. That you can be sure of."

A short while later, James and Peter left for classes after bringing up breakfast for Sirius and Morgana. A half hour after they left Morgana was asleep on the left side of Sirius' bed, a book lying on her chest.

"Review what we've... in potions... Amorentia and... Felix Felicis... soon..." she muttered in her sleep.

"Sure you will, love," Sirius responded, half asleep, half hanging off of his side of the bed.

"Felix Fe... luck potion... Am...rentia... love... love potion..." She curled up, facing Sirius, cradling her book as if it were a favorite teddy bear. "Nigh' night, Sir..." **A/N: That's pronounced like **_**sear**_**, by the way, not the formal **_**sir**_**.**

"Sleep tight, love."

"I'm cold..." He groggily pulled the blanket over her, putting his arm around her as well.

"Better? M'rgana?" She gave a soft sigh of contentment in reply. He looked at the position of his arm, a dopey grin on his lips. "Guess I'll jus' leave that there, then."

**OxO**

"Wake up, you two. I hope nothing too drastic happened whilst we were away!" Sirius groggily opened his eyes to the sound of his best friend throwing his book bag on the floor.

"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Only break after first, no worries. My, my, my- what _did_ you two do?" James asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. Morgana's eyelids were fluttering open as she lay curled up next to him, the blanket on Sirius' bed pulled up to his nose.

"Shut it, James," she yawned.

"Just because Potions was so amazingly wonderful, I will oblige, my dear le Fay. I owe you my life. Our first daughter shall bear your name!"

"Oh, Lils.." she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"All period, I got to bask in the beauty that is Evans while she swore freely at me, pouring over a bubbling cauldron."

"What about Wormtail?"

"He got sent out seventeen seconds into class for reasons that shall not fall upon non-Marauder ears."

"And you didn't get sent out?"

"Alas, our poor Wormy is not as savvy in the whole idea of escaping detention as yours truly. Plus, I had a lot on the line. I wasn't going to lose potions class today."

"Poor, Lily! Where is she?" Morgana asked.

"She told me to tell you that she'll be coming up a few minutes later than expected, book return. Remind me to get you a large gift for Christmas, le Fay."

"Poor, poor Lily..."

"I'm not that bad you know."

"So you think. Any assignments? I know it's only a few days into term, but-"

"Like I listen. Ask Evans when she gets up here."

"How is it you're not tired?"

"Special, secret Marauder drink, perfected over the years."

"I'm not going to press it anymore. And what is pressing into my..." she sat up and pulled her potions book out from under her ribs. "Oh! I forgot I was reading that!"

"Good Lord! You even sleep with books!" Sirius said, shaking his head.

"There's nothing wrong with that... except you crinkle the pages!" she said, attempting to force several pages smooth and looking rather frustrated.

"Well then don't look at a single book in my possession."

"Honestly! Can't you take care of anything?"

"Not really." There was a knock on the door. "Why does everyone knock?! Come in!" Lily stepped into the dorm, looking a little windswept.

"Those corridors are so crowded right now! I tried to get to the library, but it was horrible," she glanced over at Morgana and Sirius. "Well you two look... comfy."

"Hey, I didn't sleep all night. Neither did he. I just happened to fall asleep reading my potions book!" Morgana said indignantly, hitting said book on her lap.

"Calm down, Ana. I really doubt anything'd happen there." Morgana was slightly taken aback, but only replied with one word.

"Exactly."

**OxO**

"I thought you said you were going to classes after lunch?" Sirius asked Morgana after the rest of their classmates left to resume lessons.

"Lily said she'd just take in my homework, thought it'd be easier."

"I'm not complaining." She prepared to make a sharp reply, but stopped when she saw that there was no joke in Sirius eyes. _'For once in his life…'_

"I'm not really either," she assured him with a small smile. He glanced up at her, peering at her face through a piece of charcoal hair covering his face. He surveyed her for a moment and grinned.

"I was so happy when I found you guys. I kept thinking that something had happened when I lost track of Remus. Then I was walking through the forest and… your blood…"

"You smelled it didn't you?"

"Scared the crap out of me, you did! How's your arm, anyway?"

"Better, still a bit stiff though. You?"

"My shoulder's killing me, but it's ten times better than it was." She motioned for him to sit up and turn around.

"Let me check it out." He turned his back to her and slipped his shirt down so that she could examine his shoulder.

"I'm sure it's fine…"

"James healed it, of course it's fine…" she murmured, gently prodding the pink line. "Does that hurt?"

"No… no… Ah!" he yelped suddenly. Morgana bent closer, muttering something and then brought up her wand. A moment later, he felt a very warm sensation go through where the open gash had been before. Seconds later it was replaced by a cooler feeling. Sirius turned his head to try to watch what she was doing. Morgana had spread some goop over the scar. He raised his eyebrows as she bent her head even closer to his shoulder, lips puckered slightly. He thought he knew what she was going to do a moment before she would do it. Then, to his slight disappointment, she blew slightly on the green pulp, a small smile on her lips as she read his expression. A few moments later, she straightened up, a sly gleam in her eye.

"Arrogant little boy, aren't you?"

"I was merely hoping…" She rolled her eyes.

"Make sure you wash that off well in the bath, it'll dry out the skin around the scar if it's on for too long."

"Gotcha." She rested her chin on his other shoulder, still kneeling behind him.

"I don't think I'd ever been that scared before. Ever."

"I know," he turned himself around to face her. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll always come back."

"Promise?" He noticed that her eyes seemed to shine a little more and her voice was a little off.

"Oh, Morgana…" he said, smiling at her. "Don't cry. That's stupid." The corners of her mouth twitched.

"You're stupid…" she grumbled. He wrapped his arms around her middle a split second before she threw her arms around his neck. "I know I say that you're insanely annoying and drive me mad and all that, but…"

"I know. And I know I've been a right idiot and a git, and that doesn't make things easier." He felt her smile against his neck, her eyelashes tickling his skin. He could have stayed like that forever.

**OxO**

"Blimey, I'm tired!" Lily yawned, sitting down gently on her bed. Morgana flopped into hers.

"Yeah, I missed my bed. Potions wasn't too bad was it?" Lily looked at her hands. Morgana couldn't decipher what she mumbled so she got up and went over to sit next to Lily. "Sorry, I know, I have to-"

"Actually, it wasn't all that bad. Potter was actually... kind of nice, really."

"See, he's not that bad!"

"He helped me as much as he could, only asked me out about five times in the whole class, complimented me... of course, he did insult Snape-"

"And rightfully so! He can't wait to be a Death Eater!"

"I know, I told him off last year and he didn't even try to deny it. Still, he did make a pretty bad jab at him."

"Snape's made some pretty bad jabs at just about everyone!"

"Well..."

"Do you miss talking to him?"

"Snape? Sometimes, but then I've got you to talk to. I'm just not crazy about people egging him on and beating up on him and making fun of him. There's more to him than meets the eye- I know, despite what you and everyone else may believe."

"Lily, you have the patience of a... a... a saint or something. Anyway, Potter's really not that bad."

"Well, he's certainly not on my top ten, but he's not a bad guy, I guess. Just rather cocky, and arrogant, and a bully toerag."

"See? Not all that bad. Sirius is kinda like that too, and you talk to him ever so often."

"Speaking of which, what's going on with you two?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing!"

"Well, it appears there's a new definition for 'nothing' then."

"It's just how I act around him, that's all."

"Morgana, who are you kidding? The entire school knows about you two!"

"I-"

"When Sirius is with you, he's a completely different person, any idiot could see that."

"Well good, I'm not an idiot then."

"Do you like him?"

"Sirius is a decent guy, would I hang around him if I didn't like him at least a little bit?"

"You know what I mean!" Morgana flopped back, letting her legs dangle over the bed as she lay there, pondering for a moment.

"Sometimes... sometimes he's just so... Other times he annoys me so much that I could just strangle him!"

"Like...?"

"Like when he's so cocky and arrogant! And when he does idiotic things that end up with him putting his life on the line! Or how about when he thinks he's invincible?! Or when he flirts with all those girls and snogs them and then goes and checks out another girl! And then the hair flip-"

"I see where this is going. Morgana, all of this adds up to one thing- you _do_-"

"Don't say it, Lily."

"Just my personal opinion."

"Keyword there being 'opinion,' not 'fact,'" Morgana said, closing her eyes, still lying down.

"Well, I've been right before."

"And wrong."

"I didn't say all the time."

"You were thinking it."

"Why are you arguing with me? If you didn't care you wouldn't argue."

"I don't care."

"Then why are you arguing?"

"Because I want to."

"You know, you said you were worried about him-"

"Yeah."

"If you worry about someone, that means that you have something for them."

"That's such a bad excuse! If Potter was hurt, wouldn't you worry about him, at least a little?"

"Probably."

"Are you telling me you have the hots for him?" Lily glared, defeated.

"_Touche_."

"Thank you. Now, I'm going to my own bed and going to sleep."

"Sure you don't need Black to make you fall asleep? I'm sure we could figure out a way to sneak him up here…" Lily said teasingly as Morgana closed the curtains on her own four-poster.

"Lily!"

"G' Night!"

**OxO**

"And he really does look like a slug!" Chris said to Lily, who was laughing as they made their way back after the last class of the day. The corridor, as usual, was packed and loud.

"Well, he's not all that bad, but still..." Lily replied, calming down. Allie and Morgana walked a bit behind them.

"I'm still waiting for his present to come in!" Morgana said quietly, looking behind her to make sure that Sirius couldn't hear her.

"Didn't you send out for that a while ago?"

"Well, I had my dad try to fix it, but he had to send it to some shop."

"It's the eighteenth! Sirius' birthday is tomorrow! Unless it comes tonight, you'll have a bit of a problem."

"I know."

"Well, just tell him that you'll give it to him later if it doesn't come tonight. I'm sure he'll understand."

"I still feel bad."

"He won't mind. He's completely crazy about you. If you wish him a Happy Birthday tomorrow he'll wet himself."

"He's not that bad!"

"No, but he's absolutely different around you."

"Everyone says that."

"I think it's because you're stable. He needs that. He's never had that outside of Hogwarts."

"Yes, Miss Observer of the Universe!"

"One, that's a really lame nickname and two, I've got nothing better to do. Plus, a flobberworm could see it."

"You sound like Lily!"

"Why so much resistance?"

"Because I'm sick of hearing it."

"Truth hurts."

"Can we change the subject? Please?" Morgana pleaded.

"Fine. Hey, my sister might-" Allie was cut off by a loud scream coming from ahead, around the front of the large crowd coming out from classes.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, coming up beside Morgana in an instant.

"Dunno." Morgana turned to ask Lily what had happened but she was gone. A moment later, Chris came back, Lily in tow, both were panting and looking frantic.

"The Gardner boy," Lily said anxiously, "he's dead."

**OxO**

The entire school was gathered in the Great Hall in sleeping bags. The teachers had inspected the other floors- no one was found. Now, the teachers were pacing up and down aisles of sleeping bags, their users either asleep or in a silent state of anxiety or reflection- all except two.

"I realize he was a git, but why kill a fifth year Hufflepuff boy?" Morgana whispered almost inaudibly to Sirius, laying on her side facing him, Sirius was facing her as well, eyes unfocused and glinting in the starlight of the enchanted ceiling.

"Strange, isn't it? And he wasn't killed right away either..."

"How do you know?"

"Marauders can always find new ways of getting information," he said slyly before his face darkened. "He was tortured, pretty badly too, they must have silenced his screams. I wouldn't want to go the same way."

"It has to be related to Voldemort, there's no one-"

"I have a feeling it's a certain Black sister."

"Bellatrix? I know she's cruel, but why would she-"

"She's got her reasons." Morgana gave him a quizzical look. "She wasn't supposed to marry Rudolphus. She was set to marry me since they found out my amazing mum was pregnant, preserve the Black bloodline." Morgana shook her head, disgusted, yet unsurprised. She took her hand out of her sleeping bag and took Sirius' in hers. He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about it."

"Sir… that's horrible! Even so... why kill _him_?" Sirius sighed and looked extremely weary.

"I can't tell you all of it, but just about the entire family has it out for the two of us. Alyssa was... I don't know what you could call her, but she was forced to do most of what she did. The Blacks have a good hold on her entire family."

"So they killed her brother-"

"-Because she couldn't finish her job." Morgana felt a pang of pity in the pit of her stomach for the family. "Something tells me, he's not the only member of the Gardner family that's dead."

"All of them?"

"No, what's the use of a- McGonagall-" They closed their eyes as the professor walked past them, resuming the conversation after she left. "What's the use of a _completely_ dead family? They have to have one of them alive and, well, quite possibly the most useful."

"Alyssa."

"Alyssa. She's basically a slave to the Blacks now, if her family's dead, she has nothing to live for."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"It never came up and it's not like I've known forever. It's part of the reason I left… among other things." Morgana shook her head, and yawned, exhausted.

"What time is it? I can barely keep my eyes open." Sirius looked over at James' watch.

"12:18."

"You've been seventeen a whole eighteen minutes."

"Oh yeah!" he whispered, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

"May I be the first to wish you a happy birthday?"

"You may."

"Well then, Happy Birthday."

"Well then, thank you."

"I'm sorry, you're present's been going from place to place, I sent it to my dad a while ago and _he_ sent it out and it hasn't been seen since. I haven't had a chance to send out for anything either, so-"

"Morgana, relax. It doesn't matter. Honestly, I don't care." She gave him a small sheepish smile, a bit embarrassed that she didn't have a gift for him while everyone else did.

"You'll get it as soon as possible, alright?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. Now, go to sleep." They were quiet for a few minutes, Morgana's eyelids drooping groggily, Sirius watching her. "Will you go out with me?" Her eyes snapped open.

"What?"

"I mean, if you don't want to it's fine, but… would you consider it? That's the only thing I want; the only thing I need."

"No." He wilted.

"That's alright. It's-"

"No, I won't consider it. I don't need to consider it. I don't need to think about it for a single second."

"Well, no need to be mean now!" he hissed, rather agitated.

"_I don't need to think about it for a single second!_ Of course I want to go out with you, you idiot!" He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, one moment only, before letting out a loud, bark-like laugh and pressing his grinning mouth to hers. A few people propped up and looked around to see who had disturbed the silence, James sleepily looked up for a moment, shook his head, and laid back down.

"Black! Be quiet over there!"

"Sorry, Professor." Morgana slid closer to him, Sirius put his arm around her, holding her close before they both fell asleep.

**OxO**

"Well, Padfoot, mate, that appears to be the end of your presents, considering you got Miss le Fay's early."

"I can't complain," Sirius said, grinning mischievously. He glanced over at Morgana who was talking in a close circle with Lily, Chris, and Allie, all exchanging excited expressions with the others as they spoke in hushed tones. "Whadda you reckon they're talking about?" he asked, nodding his head towards the group.

"Probably about you and Morgana. After all, it took you two almost three years to stop being stubborn enough to-"

"Hey! I wasn't stubborn! She was the stubborn one!"

"Well, you were stupid and she was stubborn, then. Either way, it took you two the better part of three years to figure out that you're like a married couple anyway."

"What?"

"You were on, you were off, you fought, you looked like you'd snog, you pushed, you pulled, you laughed, you yelled- you two were more damn volatile than a werewolf during the full moon, September of 1977!"

"Thank you for those kind words. At least I got the girl."

"When all is said and done, I will have gotten the girl."

"Sure you will. In the meantime, I'll be snogging _my_ girl senseless."

"Stop bragging."

"Truth be told, I think Morgana's more of a hand-holder than anything. She likes little things more than the bigger ones. So I'll be holding my girl's hand."

"You took the time to figure that out?"

"Well, I've waited long enough; I've had plenty of time to figure."

"She seems happy."

"I'd hope so." There was a knock at the door; Chris answered it.

"Oh, hello, Professor! It's rather late, isn't it? Can I-?"

"Is Miss le Fay with you?"

"Yeah, sure! Just a sec- Morgana! Professor McGonagall wants to see you!" She got up and walked over to the door, disappearing for a minute and re-entering to come over to Sirius. She looked completely different, far more sad and tired than he could ever remember seeing her in his as long as he'd known her.

"Could you come with me? Please?" He nodded and followed her out to the Common Room where McGonagall was waiting by the portrait hole.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Professor," she said quietly, looking at the floor, a somber expression on her face. The two students followed behind the older woman a few feet.

"Morgana? Love, what happened?"

"You know my aunt, Tarla?"

"Yeah."

"She got worse." Sirius walked silently and awkwardly until he entwined his fingers with hers. She laid her head on his shoulder and walked on, continuing towards McGonagall's office. They stepped inside and shut the door. Sirius felt as if he were a trespasser on the entire situation. He didn't know the woman, he wasn't responsible for the student, he wasn't meant to inform people, he wasn't losing someone.

But Morgana needed him. She chose him to come with her, not even Lily- him. McGonagall spoke in what must have been her version of a tender voice.

"She's at St. Mungo's. They transported her there, even though she wants to go home. She's on the fourth floor because they weren't sure where to put her. You'll find her in the fifth door to your right. I'd go with you, but there's so much going on…"

"Thank you, Professor." Morgana stepped forward to grab a handful of Floo Powder from the pot in McGonagall's outstretched hand. Sirius guided her over to the fireplace and stepped in beside her.

"I'll tell your classmates where you are. You can fill them in on the rest." Morgana nodded glumly.

"St. Mungo's Hospital," she said dully. Sirius felt himself spinning through warm, emerald flames, the shapes of the office disappearing to be replaced by those of the hospital. Morgana stood there for a moment, as if she were unsure of what to do.

"Fourth floor, love," Sirius said gently, nudging her forward. She walked slowly, staring blankly ahead. They traveled in complete silence, Sirius guiding her every step of the way, reminding himself every time he lifted his foot from the ground '_Morgana needs me. She wanted me to come. She needs me._' Yet, with every step, he felt more and more that he'd like to turn around- he could almost feel her heart break. A few minutes later, they reached the fifth door on the right on the fourth floor. He reached out to turn the knob but she gently touched his hand to stop him.

"No, not yet." She stared at the door a few moments, doing nothing. "I don't want to go in, Sirius."

"I know… but it won't change anything. You're going to make her feel better though."

"McGonagall says her mind's going. She doesn't fully remember who my dad is and is completely unfamiliar with my mum. Then, all of a sudden, she remembers everything."

"She'll remember you anytime. Who could forget you?" She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry you have to come, it's just… I doubt Lily could handle that right now. She doesn't need another dying woman in her life."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've always wanted to meet your Aunt Tarla!"

"I wish the circumstances were different," she sighed and opened the door. "Mum?"

"Morgana!" A tall, pretty woman with a mass of red hair wrapped her arms around Morgana, a thin, bespectacled man behind her; his lined face didn't give off the same happiness Sirius had seen in pictures. Indeed, it appeared that this was the first smile he had given in a long time. "Merlin, it's good to see you!"

"Good to see you too, Mum. This is Sirius-"

"We've heard novels about you. I'm Caroline le Fay, Morgana's mum."

"Pleased to meet you." The man broke away from his daughter a few moments later and introduced himself.

"George Harmons," he said, offering his hand.

"Sirius Black, it's a pleasure, sir. I'm- er… Sorry about the situation."

"We all are, but we've been expecting it. Nevertheless, it's good to meet you." Sirius gave a small nod.

"Morgana? Morgana is that you?!" Someone rasped from the other side of the room. Sirius turned his attention for the first time to the bed where a rather feeble looking woman lay.

"Yeah, it's me, auntie," Morgana walked forward to the bed, Mr. Harmons gestured for Sirius to follow. The woman reached up for Morgana's face, she sat in the chair by the bed, Sirius came up behind her. In all the pictures he had seen of Morgana's aunt, she had been smiling and laughing or doing something completely outrageous. Her thick hair had been haphazardly surrounding her happy face, her hazel eyes glinting with mischief. Now, her hair was thinned out and laying limply on her pillow, her face gaunt, the skin appearing to be stretched, her eyes sunken in and dull. There appeared to be no more strength within her, just skin and bones. Even so, when she saw Morgana, she tried to sit up- the only person she really remembered was here, that was all she needed.

"You look even more beautiful since I saw you last."

"Well, it's only been nineteen days, I couldn't have changed that much."

"Nonsense, you're growing into a fine woman. But, why be a fine young woman, when you could be a-"

"-a gorgeous babe too?!" Morgana finished, giving a sad grin at the phrase her aunt had exclaimed so many times.

"You're the only one I've known who could manage both. I suppose the woman's from your mum and the babe's from me. And who's this handsome young man?" she said, surveying Sirius.

"This is Sirius, Tar. I told you about him, remember?"

"Who could forget? He's even better looking than I thought!" Even though she was dying, she managed to get him to grin sheepishly.

"He's seventeen today."

"And he's spending his birthday here! Where's your mother? Caroline? Can you grab my purse?" Morgana's mother looked rather astonished for a moment that Tarla remembered her name, but she brought the bright red purse over anyway. "Morgana, could you get the gift in there, please? There's a dear…" Morgana rummaged in the completely filled purse for a few moments before taking out a small box, wrapped in red and gold paper. "It finally came last night! The owl had to find me here!"

"Dad sent it to you?"

"You sent it to him, he sent it to me because I had Steve's- you remember him, right?"

"He's my godfather, Tar."

"I know dear. Anyway, he fixed everything- well, I had his old address, but he's doing something illegal, so he's untraceable right now. Anyway, it took a while, but it got here." Morgana handed the gift to Sirius.

"This is from the entire family." He ripped the paper off of the box and took the top off. Inside was a gold watch, the face of it embedded with small jewels for each number.

"Wow…" was all he could manage. He hadn't even thought of getting the traditional coming-of-age gift. He flipped it over, the letters "T.H." where engraved in calligraphy on the back.

"It was my dad's…" Mr. Harmons informed him, giving Sirius a small smile.

"We thought that… well… no one in your family was all that likely to give you a watch and there are no more sons to pass it down to unless… you know… I have kids, which won't be for ages yet," Morgana explained quietly. He looked up at her and then back down at the watch.

"I… I… Thank you!" The family hadn't even met him before but they were willing to give him a family heirloom. Morgana took it from him and slipped it on his wrist, fastening it carefully.

"It's alright, dear," Morgana's mum said. Tarla quickly turned her head towards her.

"Who are you?" she asked sincerely.

"Caroline."

"Huh… you know… you look a bit like Morgana, here... Are you two related?"

"No," she breathed, her eyes shining with tears. Tarla gave a shrug and looked out the dark, painted window, the artwork mimicking the conditions outside. Morgana turned and gave her mother a desperate look, Ms. le Fay returned a shake of the head- it wasn't worth trying anymore. Sirius saw a single tear fall down Morgana's cheek, but she wiped it away quickly, switching her gaze to her aunt's covered feet which were dancing under the thin hospital blanket, watching her toes wiggle back and forth for at least ten minutes. Soon, they wouldn't move anymore.

"Morgana? Honey, what's wrong?" she inquired to her niece.

"Nothing, auntie. Don't worry about me."

"Am I dying?"

"No, you're just a bit sick. You'll be alright soon."

"You're lying," she said calmly. "I'm going to die."

"No, you just got sick, that's all."

"Don't lie to me, dear. I'm going to kick it any day now." Sirius knew fairly well that that day was coming at an alarmingly fast rate. "Gana, love, are you dating this boy?"

"Yes, Tar."

"He's very good-looking. What's his name?"

"Sirius."

"Sirius… that name sounds familiar," she furrowed her brow. "Did you tell me about him before?"

"In every letter, all summer too." Tarla offered him a weak hand which he shook.

"That looks exactly like my father's watch. He was a ministry official you know- Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she looked over at Morgana's parents. "Who are they, Gana?"

"Ah, we're just people from Hogwarts, we're responsible for the two of them," Mr. Harmons said simply. She seemed to buy it. "Morgana, could I talk to you?"

"I'll just be over there, Tar. Okay?"

"Sure, sure. Sirius, right? That's your name? What's your favorite vegetable?" Sirius gave Morgana a worried look, she gestured for him to humor her as Morgana hurried over to her parents.

"Mum, Dad, how bad was she before?" Morgana whispered frantically.

"Your mother went into her room to see if she was awake this morning and she flipped out. She thought she was kidnapped and swore your mother was coming at her with a Beater's bat. I came in and she calmed down a bit, but she couldn't quite remember who I was."

"It took hours for the Healers to get her out of the house, she refused to let me get anywhere near her. Then, by about lunch time she was talking and laughing with me like usual. Soon, she just kept forgetting and remembering in shorter and shorter times. We went for you at 8:00 and Minerva said that you'd be here by 9:00, and you were. She keeps getting worse. She's losing the most recent memories first, among other things. She remembered just about everything to do with you, though."

"I feel bad that you two can't even talk to her." Morgana's parents smiled at their daughter.

"We had longer with her than you did. Besides, it's better this way. You're the only one she remembers. She always thought of you like some sort of daughter." Morgana nodded at her mother's words. Her mother and aunt had always gotten along great, they were best friends to each other. Morgana couldn't fathom how her mother was feeling now.

"I hear you and Sirius are dating." Morgana gave another nod.

"I'll tell you about it after it's…" Mr. Harmons gave her shoulder a squeezed and gestured for her to go back to her aunt. She returned to the bed where Sirius was being interrogated about Quidditch.

"I used to play, you know. I was a Chaser."

"My best mate, James, is a Chaser too."

"Is he good?"

"One of the best." Tarla looked over at Morgana who was just sitting down.

"Don't you play Quidditch, Gana?"

"I'm Seeker for Gryffindor, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. The star of the show! Didn't you get hit with a Bludger once?"

"That's right."

"Seekers always get it the worst." The feeble woman began humming tunelessly and staring up at the ceiling. No one spoke for the longest time until Tarla turned back to Morgana, "I'm sorry."

"For what, Tar?"

"For not being a good aunt."

"What are you talking about, you were the best! You _are_ the best!"

"No girl should have to be by their delusional aunt's deathbed." Morgana gave a small smile; Tarla was somewhat aware, even for a moment.

"I want to be here. There's no place in the world I'd rather be."

"Don't lie, dear, it's not becoming. Come on, come lay by me. Sirius, come onto the bed, you can go wherever there's room. Don't worry about if you're hurting me or not… it's not like you'll cause any lasting damage." Morgana laid on her side, Sirius pressed against her back while she put an arm around her aunt. He had never really thought about it before, but Morgana's aunt was about a head and a half taller than her niece, thin and tall like her brother. He had always thought of Morgana's aunt exactly the same as Morgana. "I love you, Gana."

"I love you too," Morgana whispered, her voice cracking. Sirius kissed her shoulder quickly as she sniffled. They laid there for several long hours. The clock read one in the morning when Tarla's eyes snapped open and she looked at Morgana, bewildered.

"Who are you?!"

"I'm Morgana."

"Not _my_ Morgana, my Morgana's just a little girl- she's six."

"Not to worry, Miss Harmons, she told me to come and stay by you until she got back."

"Where'd she go?"

"She went home for tonight. She told me to tell you that she loves you very much."

"Wake me up when she gets here, alright? You can stay here if you want, this damn hospital's so cold. Wake me up when you see my Morgana."

"I will, thank you." Sirius lifted his head to look at Morgana's parents. They were sitting in chairs on the other side of the room, Morgana's mum leaning on Mr. Harmons as they slept silently. "It's almost over," Morgana breathed, loud enough for only Sirius to hear.

"It'll be alright." She sighed and gave a small nod, setting her head back down. A sleepless hour and a half later, Morgana tensed up.

"No…" she said in a strangled sob, jumping nimbly out of the bed. She stared at her aunt's gaunt face, the smallest smile on her lifeless lips. Sirius couldn't tear his eyes away from the corpse as Morgana took three steps towards her parents, then took three steps back, her hands pulling on her hair. She stumbled and hit the small table against the wall, knocking over a vase, waking her parents.

"Morgana? Morgana, what-" but she was already out of the door, running down the hall. Sirius got up carefully, making sure not to disturb her aunt, but chasing after her as fast as he could.

"Morgana!" He looked around the corridor, no one to be seen. He ran down the steps until he found a Healer. "Did you see a girl run past here?"

"Brown hair, teenager?"

"Yes, that's her!"

"Bolted past me, sobbing, I don't know where she went, though-"

"Thank you!" He ran until he hit another corridor going right and left- one out of three chances that he'd get the right corridor. "Why's she have to run so much faster than me?! _Morgana!_" He turned right and ran down the hall, frantically looking for any sign of her- dead end. He ran back to the other end of the corridor- another dead end. Finally, he sprinted down the last hall- he'd find her down there, he had to. A quarter of an hour later he found her, sitting in a corner on the second floor, staring blankly ahead, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Sirius sat down next to her, unsure of what to do. For several long minutes she didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"You found me," she finally said.

"Did you want me to?"

"I had hoped you would. I knew you would. You always manage to find me," she added, giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry our first date was so horrible."

"That? No, it wasn't so bad. Hey, I finally got to meet your family! Even if she wasn't quite herself, your aunt was still really cool."

"She had a motorbike, you know. It didn't fly or anything, but it was really cool- a dark blue Harley-Davidson. She used to take me on it all the time. Then she had to get rid of it because everything on it started to go. She never got around to getting another one…" They sat in silence a minute more. "She used to work in Magical Law Enforcement too. Worked with different types of spell damage. One day, two years before our first year at Hogwarts, she was at a scene and the wizard they were investigating just… appeared and started shooting spells out all over the place. She got hit and they said that she'd start to lose it… slowly at first, then faster and faster. She moved in with us just before summer break started. She had really good days and then she'd get days when… she just wasn't quite right. Lily and I spent a lot of time with her. I think that helped. It gave her something to keep her… more like herself."

"She's not gone you know. She just… can't write to you, can't talk to you. You might not see her anymore, but she's still with you, whenever you need her. She'll never leave you, not really." She laid her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"I guess she'll be having good days from now on…"

"Of course."

"At least she got to meet you. I think she would have loved you… had she been able to really know who you are… I'm sorry you always have to be the Great Comforter."

"Shh… don't worry about it." He pulled her closer to him as she began to cry.

"I miss her already." Sirius lifted her up and silently carried her up to the fourth floor, the fifth door on the right.

**OxO**

Morgana awoke the day after the funeral; she stared at the ceiling of her four-poster, a dull emptiness where her aunt used to be. She got up and looked out the window. It was early, a damp mist covering the grounds before the sun came up, a certain chill hung in the air.

"Clammy like a corpse..." She went back and sat on her bed, staring at the card from the funeral. The front bore her aunt's name with a moving picture of her smiling and waving. Morgana knew the card completely, from the inspirational designs and gold border as a background, to the sappy memorial poem on the back. She had suggested to her parents that they put her trademark quote on the back- "What the bloody hell kind of a name is Tarla?! Tarla, I ask you! Were mum and dad on drugs when they picked it out?! 'Oh, she's so cute! What should we name her?' 'Katrina?' 'No. Julia?' 'No. Barbara?' 'No. You know, I always liked tar!' 'And I always liked saying_ la_!' 'Let's name her… Tarla!'" Her aunt had uttered that same saying so many times that Morgana knew it word for word since she could talk. She'd never hear her aunt exclaim it in exasperation again. She sighed and rubbed the black ribbon Sirius had given her the day her aunt had died.

"_Hey."_

"_Hey." Morgana looked up at Sirius as he sat down in the chair next to her. Morgana was sitting in the lobby as her parents filled out paperwork at the front desk._

"_How are you feeling?"_

"_Not great- tired, sad- but I don't feel all that bad. A bit relieved." He nodded and turned his attention to the clock, the sun would be rising right about now._

"_It'll get easier, but it's gonna get harder first."_

"_I know." Her reply was followed by a somber silence, Sirius surveying her profile._

"_I… I have something for you." She slowly turned his head as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a black ribbon about the width of her pinky and her thumb put together. "Give me your wrist." Morgana held out her right arm, allowing Sirius to tie the ribbon around her wrist. "I know it's kind of a stupid gift, but I thought it was kind of cool. See, it won't fray or snag, no one other than the two of us can cut it, and you and I are the only ones who can untie it. And you'll always have a bit of Black with you." She smiled at him._

"_It's not stupid, it's sweet. I don't intend to untie It any time soon."_

"_I don't plan on it."_

She thought of it as the _significantly_-less committed version of an engagement ring.

"Only Sirius would give me enchanted-bloody-ribbon."

Sirius. She hadn't been the ideal girlfriend lately. He said that he didn't care, that he knew she needed time, but she cared. She wanted more than anything to just go back to normal, but she couldn't. She got up and got dressed, brushing out her hair and dabbing on some concealer under her eyes to camouflage the dark circles due to lack of sleep. She hadn't cried since Tarla died, and frankly, she was happy for it. Maybe, by not crying, she could fool everyone into thinking that she was fine so that they'd stop the whole sympathy act. She'd talk about it when she wanted to, dammit! She was mad at everyone every time they refused to let her be! She was mad at that idiotic wizard who hexed her aunt! She was extremely mad, though, at her aunt. Why did she have to go? Why did she leave Morgana alone? She made her bed and walked silently out of the room and down the marble staircase. Maybe she could catch a few more winks on the couch. She skipped the last few steps and walked into the Common Room.

"Sirius, what are you doing here? It's early."

"Well, I thought you'd wake up before anyone else, so I came down here to catch you. Wanna go for a walk?"

"I'd love to." They strolled silently out of the Common Room, through the halls, and out of the castle, walking towards the lake and sitting down by the edge of it, the waves lapping rhythmically against the bank. "Sorry, I haven't been the greatest girlfriend in the world. I mean, I finally say yes and you have me for a few hours before I go berserk."

"You're kidding, right? You've been the dream girlfriend, the gal of my dreams, you've just been a bit occupied lately, and understandably so." She stood up and walked to the very edge of the lake, jumping over to a boulder a foot away, stooping to pick up a few rocks.

"The memories just keep hitting me, one- after- the other," she said, skipping a rock across the lake for each word.

"They're going to. It's not like you're just going to forget about a person who's been in your life for almost seventeen years. You never will. Eventually though, it'll get easier and you won't be so sad anymore."

"How do you know so much about death?"

"Well, you don't have to have had someone die to feel like you've lost someone important."

"You're life hasn't exactly been easy."

"No, but it hasn't exactly been bad, either. Just some of it's been… rather… crappy, that's all."

"See, this is the problem with the world. The good people get punished. The people who make everyone else's life a living hell, get to sit back and enjoy the ride, alive and well. I'm sick of it! Why can't they get what's bloody coming to them?!" She began to throw rocks as far as she could, speaking faster and faster. "People always say, 'Oh, they'll get it someday!' but do they? I haven't really seen it happen, not something that's as bad as they crime they've committed. Decent people die, rotten people live and get to be happy- sure, maybe they get punished in the afterlife, but who's to say that happens? We can't exactly talk to anyone in the afterlife can we, even with magic? No, we can't, because humans have limitations to what they can do, magical people or not. So, in reality, all people are equal until they do something horrible because, in truth, they can't do anything worthwhile! They can't create any justice or prove that it even exists! Who cares how much magical blood you have! The world is meant to be run by people, and if people are punishing other people who's- Arrgh!" She shrieked as she fell face-first in the lake.

"Morgana?!" She stood up immediately, drenched. At first, Sirius thought she was going to scream, but instead, she started to laugh. It wasn't a maniacal laugh; it was a true laugh. Sirius chuckled, a bit awkward, and offered a hand to help her out, she reached the land and pressed her lips to his, still laughing. She kissed every inch of his face, continuing to laugh. She laughed for the longest time, doubling over because of her sides aching, Sirius just stood there, shaking his head, grinning.

"I fell… in… the LAKE!!" she howled.

"Yeah, I kinda got that." A few more minutes and she had calmed down and was staring at the lake, smiling.

"The lake, I fell in the lake. It's like someone was saying, 'Shut up! Wake up!' and they pushed me in the lake. Now I'm all wet!" She took her wand and began drying herself off. By the time everyone else was awake, Morgana was back to her usual self leaving everyone bewildered. No one knew what had caused her to be happy again, except Sirius, but by the end of the day, he decided that he owed that lake quite a bit.

**OxO**

"Professor! Professor McGonagall?! Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly, Black," she said. Sirius had finally caught up with the woman in the hallway.

"Well, now that I'm of age, do I have to stay here for the holidays?"

"You're parents do not have that same right that they used to so, no, you do not have to stay for the holidays. You could go wherever you wish." Sirius let out a whooping shout and ran off to Gryffindor Tower. "Kelpie!" he exclaimed, reaching the Fat Lady; she swung open without comment. "Prongs! I can go to your place for Christmas!" he shouted at James when he came into the boys' dorm.

"Excellent," he said briskly. "Now, my parents said that Worm and Moony can come over for a day or two, too, which means that the Marauders will be able to cause some form of mayhem during break."

"Morgana said that she wanted me to come over during break too."

"We'll manage that. Christmas Eve I have to visit relatives, so you can sleep over there then because we'll be home later."

"Sounds good."

"How's Morgana holding up anyway? It's been- what?- well over two months since her aunt died."

"She doesn't like to talk about it much and I'm not going to push it. I still think she's pretty beat up about it though. Her aunt was like her second mum."

"Sad that she had to get like that at the end though."

"Yeah, she seemed like she would have been a lot of fun. Marauder-worthy, even. She was delusional and she was telling me about when she used to play Quidditch and she was the only girl on her team. Then she forgot what she was talking about and we talked about it again. Wish I could have met her before though, Morgana thought the world of her."

"Sirius! You've gotta come see this!" He whipped around to see Chris at the door, an odd grin on her face. He and James exchanged a look and followed Chris into the Common Room and over to the window. "You can't quite see it from the boys' dorms." He peeked out. On the grounds was a large, pink firework heart with Sirius' initials inside of it, a few girls shooting off sparks with their wands stood around it.

"S. O. B… I guess they like a son of a b-" Sirius laughed.

"I thought they gave up when they found out he was dating Morgana," James said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, they went on hiatus to figure out some new approaches. Now they're back, full force. This was just a test run, I hear tell."

"Hate to see what the next one's like."

"Next what's like?" Morgana walked up to Sirius, gazing out the window. "Ah, the Sirius Black Society at it again, glad to see they're not too put out by us dating," she turned, leaning on her elbows, her back pressed against the wall as she turned her head to continue looking. "I wish it would snow though. The fireworks would look really pretty then, don't you think? December and no snow, it's a first."

"Speaking of December, I can come over during the holidays." Her eyes shone, she gave him that excited smile that she had been using more and more frequently.

"Thank Merlin! Mum and Dad'll be pleased to hear. My mum's officially in love with you. 'Oh, it's so nice that he was at St. Mungo's that night. He was so sweet and constantly worrying about you, especially afterwards. Then he sent those flowers…'"

"Does that mean that it wasn't nice?" She kissed him quickly on the cheek, taking a backwards step towards the girl's dorms.

"Of course not! It was very sweet! I just think that_ she_ wants to go out with _you_!"

"Leaving me already?"

"I'll be back in a few. I have to talk to Lils." There was that trademark Morgana half-smile, one corner of her mouth creeping up a little farther than the other, trying to stop a full smile as if she knew something Sirius didn't.

'_Probably does_,' he added mentally, watching her go up the stairs. She turned the corner and walked a bit farther, entering the girls' dorm.

"Hello, Mrs. Black."

"Stop it, Lily. It's getting annoying."

"That's after- what? - two and a half months?"

"I'm just going out with him."

"Still, he's kept you around the longest."

"I broke Allie's record about three weeks ago, right?"

"Three weeks, two days. And that was only because he was trying to make you jealous," Lily said, grinning. "I may not be crazy about him, but he sure is about you."

"I think you'd like him if you two got to talking."

"Well, if he's completely mad over you, he can't be all that bad."

"Now about Potter-"

"Oh, don't bring him up! Look, he hasn't been as much of a git lately, and we've been talking a bit, but that's strictly prefect duties!"

"He adores you, Lils! I don't like his bullying either, but he's loyal and he can be sweet if he wants to be. He just really can't stand the dark arts."

"Him and how many other people?! That doesn't mean that he has to torment everyone! It'll take a lot for me to forgive him for what he did to Snape, even if neither of them were right," Lily got up and walked towards Morgana who was standing at the door. "Let's go to dinner."

"I'm just saying, he can be decent sometimes. He cares a lot for you Lily."

"Did he put you up to this?"

"No, I'm getting sick of seeing him so gaga over you. He's not all that bad!"

"Well, personally, I liked that boy across the street from your house over the summer."

"Sean?"

"No, the other one, his brother."

"Oh! Yeah, Pierrot… he was alright."

"Pity they moved, he was good-looking too."

"Again, he was alright."

"Do you think he liked me?"

"When did you become so boy-crazy?" Morgana teased.

"BOY-CRAZY?!" They had reached the bottom of the stairs, James to their right. It was clear that before his outburst he had been eavesdropping. "I thought you hated boys!"

"Not every guy is like you! Just because I hate _you _doesn't mean-" Lily broke off immediately after she heard what she had said.

"Hate me?" he said softly. Morgana had never seen him look so pathetically sad. "I mean, I knew you weren't crazy about me, but I didn't think you hated me anymore. Guess I was wrong."

"Po- James, I-" but he already was halfway up the opposite stairs, walking at a normal pace, but skipping two stairs at a time. Lily sighed. "Should I go after him, do you think?"

"No!" they heard him say loudly.

"Guess not." Morgana rolled her eyes; she'd have to take care of this.

"Where's Sirius?"

"Upstairs, I think."

"Go on without me. I'll be back eventually." She started up the stairs. She knew Lily didn't like James, but he wasn't quite as bad as he was before. She had even seen him helping a younger student in the hall when their bag broke, no Lily in sight. True, he wasn't perfect yet, but he wasn't the bully he had been in the previous years either. She came to the door and knocked.

"No one's home!"

"Sirius… Who is it?" a second voice said- Remus.

"It's me," Morgana said. The door opened to reveal Remus Lupin, in all his shabby glory.

"What happened to Prongs?" Sirius asked, walking over immediately from James' bed, the hangings drawn.

"Lily."

"What he do now?"

"She let the 'H seven plus one' word slip."

"I thought they were getting along!"

"Well, yeah. She doesn't really hate him, she just said that because… well, they're Lily and James, it's what they do."

"I don't know if I can deal with him after she said she hate him. Men are bad with feelings."

"I don't know I could either," Remus sighed. Peter shook his head

"Want me to give it a go?" Morgana said, rolling her eyes.

"Can you talk to him?"

"I can talk to anyone! The question is if I can get through to him."

"You can try." Morgana moved towards his bed.

"Wish me luck."

"Your wish is my command," Sirius said, bowing. Morgana flicked his forehead jokingly before the three left the room.

"James?" Morgana said hesitantly, sitting down in the chair next to his bed.

"Another hate message?"

"No, I'm here kinda… representing (I guess that would work)… representing Lily."

"Well, then, go on, Miss Proxy. Tell me to jump off a cliff and then kick me in the-"

"I could if you want, you know." He was silent for a few moments.

"Go away."

"Make me." He flung back the curtains, whipping out his wand. She remained unmoved. "Should I tremble now or faint?" He threw his wand back down on the bed, his face drooping.

"Who am I kidding? I just… I thought she had kinda changed towards me, you know? I've been nicer, laying off of the whole 'will you go out with me' thing."

"She doesn't _hate_ you-"

"Then why did she say that?! She hasn't said that to me since the first week of term!" She rolled her eyes, smiling slightly.

"Boys! How many times did I tell Sirius I hated him?"

"Loads."

"Let me tell you a little secret- I've never hated Sirius for one moment in my life. I may have hated what he did, but I never meant what I said when I told him that I hated him."

"But you two were always like that- not the same with Evans and me."

"So?"

"Well, Little Miss Relationship, what should I do?"

"Not tormenting people would be a good start."

"Other than that."

"Try being less arrogant." He opened and closed his mouth several times.

"I already try!"

"Try harder."

"I don't know that I can!"

"You have to know if you can or not. If you aren't sure of yourself, how can Lily be sure of you?" He furrowed his brow, looking at Morgana as if he had never seen anything quite like her.

"Why are you helping me? Evans doesn't want me, you don't like me."

"Lily needs to forgive you for what you did to Snivellus (I know, I hate him too), that and I think you might do her some good… maybe some bad, but some good too. Anyway, she doesn't really hate you I don't think. As for me, I like you just fine, James. You're just a bit… you need a bit of help is all." At this point, he was back down on the bed, his head turned toward her, making Morgana feel like a psychiatrist.

"I've just… I've always been drawn towards her. Kind of like Sirius to you I suppose…" Morgana felt a small reluctant smile creep up on her face.

"I'm sure if you try, the two of you could at least be fair friends."

"I could never be a _real_ friend to Evans. I don't know that I've ever seen Padfoot happier. He's constantly in a good mood now; you really make a change in him."

"Well, one would only hope."

"Do you really think Lily likes me?"

"As I said, I don't know, we don't talk about it. It's worth a shot though, right?"

"'Course it is!"

"Well, then… I'll leave you to your thoughts, then."

"Thanks, Morgana, cheers!"

"Cheers, Prongs." Morgana waved, strolling out of the room and down the marble stairs where Lily and the remaining Marauders were waiting.

"Well, that was quick," Remus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Just needed a little boost to the ego, that's all; it was a little too low." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Arrogant git's not used to knowing what everyone else feels like. He gets a little droopy and we have to call in the Ministry."

"And Morgana's just as good as the Ministry," Remus added.

"Well, it's all over now. Arrogance levels are normal- James Potter is right as rain." Lily rolled her eyes once more, but Morgana noticed at the corners of her mouth twitch ever-so-slightly.

**OxO**

"Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow afternoon," Sirius said briskly.

"See ya, Padfoot."

"Good-bye, Sirius."

"Say hello to the family for us." Sirius nodded before throwing a handful of glittering emerald powder into the fireplace, shouting out Morgana's address, the Potter's huge living room spinning away in a green blur to be replaced with a smaller room, painted light green, the sun shining brightly through a window. A moment later, a teenage girl was standing on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his.

"Merry Christmas, love," Sirius said after they pulled away.

"Look at you! You're all full of soot!" she said laughing, brushing the ash off of his clothes and hair. "Merry Christmas though. Mum, Dad! He's here!" A few moments later, Morgana's parents entered the room, both looking a little harried, Morgana's mother wiping flour off of her face, her father wiping his hands on a towel.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius!" Ms. le Fay said, pulling Sirius into a warm hug which he returned, slightly surprised.

"Merry Christmas, Ms. le Fay, Mr. Harmons," he replied, nodding to Morgana's father who offered Sirius his hand. "Thanks for letting me stay here tonight."

"Not a problem. It'll be good to have another person in the house," Mr. Harmons said reassuringly.

"Dad, I'm going to take Sirius up to my room, alright?" The older man looked as though he would like for his daughter to stay downstairs for a while, but nodded.

"Sure, we'll finish up in the kitchen and then we'll head over."

"Alright, yell when you leave." Morgana took Sirius' hand and led him through the dining room and into a hallway where they climbed up a stairway.

"It's a very nice house."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Not too bad…" As they walked up the quietly creeking stairs, Sirius noticed some pictures on the wall, several of which contained Aunt Tarla. Her niece was now pointedly looking down, careful not to glance at the pictures of her aunt. She pulled him through a hallway into the second door from the stairs. They entered Morgana's room, the bed directly across from the door, light coming through the window. It wasn't a large room, but it was comfy. Her walls were covered in posters of the Beatles, Gryffindor banners, and pictures; what space on them that was left uncovered was painted an elegant shade of purple, clashing brilliantly with the scarlet and gold Gryffindor crests. He noticed that just about everything in her room seemed to clash, yet it all seemed to fit perfectly.

"I brought presents," he said, offering her the bag in his other hand. She took it and set it by the door after opening it quickly.

"That's so sweet! Thank you… we'll bring it downstairs when we go back down," she walked back over to him, putting her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm so glad you came…"

"I'm glad too…" he said uncertainly.

"Tar used to come over all the time around the holidays except Christmas Eve… she always made something and brought it to the muggle nursing home or homeless shelter… we did that this year, I helped wrap a few presents and things. My parents have been keeping me away a bit, trying to let me have some 'Me' time." He kissed her head quickly. "The entire house just seems so different without her. I miss her so much."

"And you're going to. She was a great person and she loved you loads."

"I got her a present… do you think that's silly of me?"

"No, not at all."

"I didn't tell my parents. I told them I would go put a wreath out by her grave today, so I'll bring it with. Would you come?"

"I'd love to." She pulled away from him a bit, Sirius still holding her close to him as she unnecessarily smoothed his shirt.

"It's just… this is my first real death. My grandparents died when I was about three, so I didn't really know what was going on."

"Well, I can't really say I've seen a bunch of people die, either, but…" She kissed his cheek quickly.

"I know. Still, I don't want to unload everything on Lily, her mum's getting worse, I think. But, she does want to know just about everything. Even so, I don't want everything to get thrown on you, either."

"Love, the only time you talk about your aunt is when someone else brings it up. And right now, the damn people at the calendar companies are bringing it up by making it Christmas Eve." She looked up at him, something in her eyes that he couldn't quite place.

"Sirius… I-"

"Morgana? Could you come here for a few minutes, please?"

"Coming, Mum!" she shouted back, then turning to Sirius added, "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home, look around, whatever." Morgana left the room, closing the door behind her, her footsteps fading as she descended down the stairs. Sirius sighed and looked around the room, turning to the taller of the two dressers in the room, picking an old-looking book from the second shelf attached to the dresser. A few pages in, the book was hollowed out, a smaller book in the middle of it. He took it, scanning over the first few lines on the inside of the book.

"Morgana's diary…" How was it the Marauders always found something they weren't supposed to find? He snapped it closed and made to put it back in the other book, planning to ignore it, but something stopped him. Morgana's diary… true, he probably knew a decent bit of what was in it, but…

No. He couldn't. That would be completely wrong… dishonest… it would be completely low of him to do that!

"She did say make yourself at home…" he muttered, reading a few entries quickly- homework, boring girl stuff (something about an actor Chris and Ally thought was "_so dreamy_" while Morgana couldn't stand him- "That's my girl!"), James pranking her _accidentally_ (Sirius would have to talk to him about that…), rants about teachers. Sirius was beginning to get a bit offended when he finally saw his name.

_Sirius… Merlin, I wish I knew what was going on in his head! Well, maybe not everything, but then I would know how to take him. Sometimes he can be so sweet and other times he's annoying beyond comprehension! Yet, here I am, contemplating what he contemplates. Does he really want to be with me? If he could, would he go back and change what he did? Do_ I_ want to be with him? I'm mostly over the whole Alyssa ordeal, but there are some other things I just don't know that I can quite forget yet. I don't know though, I don't plan on accepting any dates from him in the near future._

Sirius shrugged; that entry was rather old, about a year and a half- things certainly had changed. He flipped to another one, one with a more significant and recent date:

_Well, last night was interesting._

_The guys and I had our night out and Sirius decided to go all noble when Remus lost control of his furry little problem. So, we were all a little worried (to say the least), but after several events occurred and finding out Sirius was alright, we told him off… well, not all that well, but I basically kicked him out of his own bed, or at least made him share. I was so worried, though. All I could do was think of a thousand horrific possibilities. I never want to feel like that again! Honestly though, that boy'll be the death of me!_

_Crap, Lils is coming. Got to go!_

Sirius grinned at the page. Not all that many more entries until September 19th's entry. He flipped another page, a short paragraph for the fifteenth.

"No entry for the nineteenth!" Well, he hadn't given her much writing time that day. The next entry was on the twenty-first. Everything about the page seemed grim. The usually colorful ink switched to black, the writing losing it's wispy feeling- dull, blunt, black words on parchment.

_September 21__st_

_There isn't even a word to describe the past few days. "Emotional rollercoaster" comes to mind, but that's two. Do you think I'm allowed two words right about now? I think so._

_So, after classes on the 18__th__, everyone's heading back to their Common Rooms and everything stops- Alyssa's brother was murdered in the hall. Naturally, the school went into lock-down and we had to sleep in the Great Hall. Who am I sleeping next to? Sirius, of course. We stayed up a bit past midnight, talking about what happened and he told me that he was set to marry Bellatrix… the moment his parents found out he was to going to be born. Nice, eh? So, we talked a bit more and just as I'm nodding off what do I hear? "Will you go out with me?" At first, he thought I was turning him down, but then I clarified. So, we went to sleep and woke up in the morning to a fairly uneventful, but awesome, day, for the most part. Then, he finished opening his presents later at night and McGonagall comes to the dorm, Tar's dying. She was so bad, it kept getting worse, she wouldn't get better- she died the first few hours of the 20__th__. I freaked out a bit, but Sirius calmed me down. So, that was yesterday. I'm at school again, I've got the day off so I'm alone- all I can do is think. My assignments are done, I've read any bloody book I'd like to read and some I wouldn't like to, I don't really want to talk to people. All I can do is think of Tar. I miss her already. The thought that she won't write to me anymore, I won't see her during breaks, I won't be able to yell at someone and have them yell back only to laugh with them a moment later. She was like a sister, mum, and a friend all in one. Lily and Sirius have helped, but there's only so much they can do. I guess time will do most of the healing. I just really wish it would end though._

_Well, the funeral's in a few days, maybe I'll write some more after that._

Sighing, Sirius turned a few more pages, not wanting to read the entry the day after the funeral.

"I shouldn't be reading this at all." Well, if he had already read this much, what more damage could another entry do? He flipped to the latest one- yesterday.

_Sirius will be coming tomorrow. Merlin, I can't wait! I'm not really a clingy person (I don't think) but it's been so dreary around here, lately. The entire house could do with a few good pranks. I miss him loads. Well, that's my git- always doing something I don't want him to do. Now he's making me miss him. Damn him. I can't wait for break to end. I mean, I don't really want to leave Mum and Dad, but once everyone gets busy with something else, it'll be better. No one's found Tar's will yet and frankly I don't want them to. The house is basically shut up right now; no one can get in until that will's in the hands of the beneficiary. Truthfully, I don't think anyone's trying too hard to find it. Once everything's sorted out, it'll be all over. She'll really be gone; there'll be no going back._

_Well, I hear Mum coming up the stairs. Got to go. _

Sirius snapped the diary shut and put it back where he found it. Shaking his head, he rubbed his eyes- _she_ had been _waiting_ for him. Maybe he could set off a few fireworks, startle Morgana a bit. He _did_ have those pinwheel fireworks Lily confiscated off a second year, the explosives managing their way through to Sirius' possession. He looked around the room, his eyes falling on the picture on the other dresser. A photographic Morgana was laughing as Sirius pulled her close to him by her waist, pressing his lips to hers as she held his head in her hands. They were clad in their scarlet Quidditch robes, pulling away for a moment to wave and return to their positions as people passed around them.

"The last Quidditch game…" he muttered as he smiled. He looked at a much smaller frame which two pictures shared. On one side, Morgana was grinning as Remus put his arm around her shoulder, sitting on the couch in the Common Room. On the other side was a non-moving picture of Morgana sitting on the same couch as Matt came up behind her. The snapshot showed her looking slightly thrown off guard, but aware of whom was putting their arms around her. She looked far happier with Sirius than when she was with Matt or Remus. He noticed there seemed to be little relics that Sirius had given her all around her room- a book here, a trinket there, a few pictures of them tucked into the edge of her mirror, other pictures with her other friends. The doorknob clicked as the door swung open slowly.

"Mum and Dad just left; they'll be back in a few hours. We should probably head to the cemetery and get it over with," she said, reading a letter. "Post came, nothing much… just a Christmas card from the neighbors."

"Where's Lily spending Christmas?"

"With the family that Petunia's staying with. It's her last Christmas before she comes of age, so she figured she'd spend it there. That way, she could make Dumbledore happy and she'd be less likely to use magic to hex Petunia."

"Dumbledore wanted her to go there for Christmas?"

"Something about 'strengthening the bond between them'. Personally, I don't see anything happening, but that's Dumbledore for you," she sighed, folding the letter back up and giving Sirius a small smile. "She'll be back for the summer though."

"Guarding you against me, I suspect?" Sirius said slyly.

"Please! Like you'd dare to do anything to me!" she laughed, resting her elbows against the dresser. "You're too sweet for that."

"Too sweet?! I beg to differ, my dear. Sirius Orion Black is anything but sweet."

"You're a softie, but that's why I said 'yes,'" she walked over to him and fumbled with the top button of his shirt. "If you weren't a little bit sweet, you wouldn't be here right now. Now, come on, let's begin on our merry way to the cemetery." She picked up the bag of presents Sirius brought (he immediately relieved her of them) and led him down the stairs.

"Where are my bloody shoes?! Oh, you can stick those under the tree, love," Morgana directed to Sirius, glancing over at him as she hunted for her shoes. "Bloody hell! Where'd they go?!"

"Why don't you just summon them?" Sirius suggested, setting a present carefully under the Christmas tree. Morgana stopped for a moment and slapped her forehead.

"Good Lord, I'm an idiot! _Accio boots!_" A few moments later, Morgana was shoving her feet into black winter boots and tugging the hem of her jeans down over the tops of them. "Now, there's a corner of the backyard that we can Apparate from to the cemetery. You can side-along with me since neither of us have loads of Apparition experience, but I know where the place is."

"Does it matter?"

"Not sure, that's one lecture I zoned out on; but, better safe than sorry." Sirius grabbed Morgana's jacket after setting the sack on the table. "Thanks, now let's- where's your coat?"

"I must have forgotten it at the Potters'," he shrugged.

"Well, let's borrow one of Dad's. He won't mind and you're about the same size." She disappeared into a side room and emerged a minute later with a leather coat. "It's one of the nicest coats my dad ever had; it's way too short in the arms though. They tried to magically alter it and it didn't work." Sirius took it and tried it on.

"It fits perfectly!" he said, instinctively shoving his hands into the pockets.

"Dashing, very dashing," Morgana said, unnecessarily smoothing out the shoulders of the coat. "My mum picked it up in a muggle thrift shop a few years back. Too bad he's got arms like a monkey," she added with a sigh. "Should we head off then?"

"Alright." Morgana led him out the back door, picking up an evergreen wreath decorated with ribbon and small blue baubles in the back hallway. They walked out into the backyard, Morgana tapping the lock on the door with her wand, leading Sirius out to the southeast corner of the fence.

"Make sure you're inside the bricks there," she instructed, gesturing to a few bricks she was brushing off with her foot. "Get your foot in, Sir." They pressed themselves against the fence, Sirius gripping Morgana's arm. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, turning as best she could on one foot. Sirius felt all the air being pushed out of him, the only real thing was Morgana's arm. His body was being squeezed down a tube- and then it stopped. He took in his surroundings. Morgana was surveying a stretch of land covered in white, large shapes looming out from the ground, a few flanked with bushes or wilted plants. Others were decorated with wreaths or plastic flowers covered in a layer of snow, a few leaves or petal poking out from the shelter of a tombstone.

"Which way?" he asked uncertainly, slightly unnerved by the purity and innocence the snow seemed to bestow upon the silent cemetery.

"She's over here," Morgana replied, her voice completely normal. He couldn't see her face, but she led him on ahead, just as she would lead him to the Astronomy Tower or to the Herbology greenhouses.

"You alright, love?" She stopped to turn back to him, a sad smile on her face.

"Not much I can do, is there? She's been gone for a while, so I'm getting used to it. It's just a bit sad coming out here, that's all." He took her hand and they continued through the rows of tombstones. "I'm glad that she's not in pain anymore, but I still miss her loads." Her eyes glazed over for a moment as she looked forward once more. "Sometimes, I wish she hadn't died. Even if she had to stay in her… condition. Only for a few minutes, just so I could tell her… tell her… I know it's incredibly selfish, but isn't all grieving?" He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow as she looked back at him and gave a broad smile at his skepticism. "What? It's true! Think about it, we all cry when someone leaves us and we say that it's because they still could have done more, they could have had more life… but really, we're crying for ourselves. We're crying because we can't talk to them and have them talk back. We sob because we won't see them smile or hear them laugh. We cry and yell and scream because we're angry they left us alone in a world without them," she looked at him and then back down, her smile fading away as she drifted into thought. "Silly… isn't it?"

"You've got a speech for everything don't you?"

"I've got an opinion and a voice box- that's all I need. Just a few more stones now. She's over by that tree." They walked past about ten more stones until they came to a leafless tree, a single gravestone at it's roots. Morgana removed her glove and brushed the snow off of the stone with her fingers, revealing Tarla's name, date of birth and date of death, and an epitaph which Morgana softly read.

"_I send you now to dance with the stars,_

_No longer will you dream of the angels in the Heavens,_

_You will be with them,_

_You will be one of them,_

_And we will dream of you"_

"It's beautiful," Sirius said simply.

"Tar put it together just before term began…" She drifted off, lost in a reverie. "It seems so long ago… Well, best put the wreath in, it's rather cold out." Sirius took the wreath from her hands as she warmed the ground with her wand. After the wreath was in, she knelt down digging in the snow and earth and putting an envelope in the hole she made and covering it back up. "See ya, Tar."

**OxO**

"Six- one, two, three, four, five, six… Finally! I'll buy it!" Morgana said, counting out fake money. The older muggle woman next door had given her an American muggle game called "Monopoly." Sirius was fascinated by it and refused to go to sleep until someone won,

"But I wanted to buy that one! It's the most expensive on the board!"

"I don't care. If I have to stay up until- what time is it? 1:00?- Well, if I have to stay up that long, I'll buy whatever I can get the most profit from so I can beat you! You know, we could just go to bed and leave this here. I'm rather tired."

"Just one more turn! It's my turn anyway!" She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, we'll finish in the morning." He made exaggerated moves as he rolled the die, finally throwing them at the board, one cascading off of the table to land under the Christmas tree. He growled and walked over to the tree, laying down on his stomach to retrieve the dice.

"Morgana, I think I found another present," he said, emerging from the tree. "_To: Morgana_, it doesn't say who it's from." She raised an eyebrow as he tossed her a box, slightly bigger than an envelope and about as thick as his thumb, covered in brown paper.

"Was it you?"

"The book set wasn't enough?" he asked honestly. Morgana gave him a warm smile.

"It was plenty, believe you me. I wonder who it's from."

"Well, open it for Merlin's sake!" She obediently tore at the paper, revealing a thin white box. Throwing the cover off, she picked out a piece of parchment and unfolded it, her eyes widening as she read.

"It's the will…"

"What?"

"Tar's will… it's here… and… everything goes to me." She handed it to Sirius and shakily took out the other sheet of parchment, unfolding that one as well.

_Morgana,_

_As I write this, you've just left for your sixth year at Hogwarts with Lily, telling me you'll see me at Christmas. As wonderful as that sounds, I think I've said my final good-byes. Things are going in and out of focus and I can't keep my head straight. It's alright though, I've had a good run._

_If your parents knew what I was writing, they'd probably stop me. Everyone knows it's hopeless, they just want to believe otherwise. You know better. You wouldn't stop me, because it's so plain to see- even though you want things to get better._

_As you read this, I'm long gone, decaying in a box (however morbid that may sound)._

_I love you so much. I wish I could have been a better aunt to you and could have had a bit more to do with your life. I wish I was there to see you walk down the aisle and see your kiddies (because no matter who their father is, they'll be amazingly intelligent and drop-dead gorgeous!). You're what kept me going the past few months. You and Lily are so hilarious! I'll miss your jokes and visits. But enough of the mushy crap, this being one of the last things your read from me, I've got a lifetime's worth of advice to give you._

_Don't let anyone take advantage of you. I know you don't now, but don't ever change that. People are vicious creatures- they suck. Get them before they get you._

_Do what you want to do. Life's too short to worry about what other people think about you. If you want to dye your hair green DO IT, regardless of what other people think. Just make sure your parents are okay with that if you're still living with them. If not, blame me- I'm out of their line of punishment. If you're reading this I'm WAAAAYYY out._

_Have fun. There's so much dark in the world, but you have to count your blessings, take advantage of them._

_Don't worry about small things. If you don't get that book you want or someone calls you a name, forget about it. It was either supposed to happen or not. Let things run their courses and it'll be alright._

_Any problems you have with people in your school or in your work, any problems with teachers, just remember what Daddy Harmons always told me- "This too shall pass." If people don't like you, that's their loss and not your problem._

_Here's the main one- love. If you love someone, let them know it- tell them, show them, let them feel it. There's never enough time to let people know how much you care, but you can do as much as you can with the time you have. __Do as much as you can__. You'll find someone to spend the rest of your life with, from the sounds of it, you've already found someone you love very much, even if you're only sixteen- love knows no age. When you find them, make sure they know how much you love them, don't write a letter when you're dying. People who do that are idiots._

_I'm sorry it's short. I've got so much more to tell you. But I can't remember some things and I'm exhausted. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept thinking that today was probably the last day I'd ever see you. So, I'll say it one last time- I love you, Morgana. I love you loads._

_Love always,_

_Tar_

"Morgana?" She looked up when Sirius said her name. "What is it?" Morgana looked back down at the letter and smiled.

"Nothing much, just a letter."

"There's another thing in the box," he informed her, handing over an envelope. She took it, flipping it over to the back where a burgundy seal was, bearing the letters "S. C."

"Who…" She ripped the top of the envelope, saving the seal to ask her parents. Inside was a silver key and a small note written in thick lettering:

**The box this goes to is in her house. It's repaired. Best wishes, love.**

"Who wrote it?" Sirius asked her, frowning at the slip of parchment.

"No clue… 'S. C.'… I know loads of people whose names begin with 'S', but the last name…"

"Maybe it's Santa Claus," Sirius joked.

"Haha, funny," she said sarcastically. "Well, maybe I'll think of it when I'm asleep. Let's go to bed." Sirius didn't argue and led her out of the room, flipping off the light switch after she went into the kitchen to throw away the paper. They trudged up the stairs to her room, Morgana flopping onto her bed as they reached their destination. She moved over until she was as far over as she could get, closing her eyes. Sirius turned off the light and laid down on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep."

"On the floor?"

"It's perfectly normal to sleep on the floor."

"I've slept on the floor plenty, but you're in my house and you won't sleep on the floor. Get into the bed."

"I'd rather not sleep in the same bed with you in your parents' house."

"Then you take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

"You're not sleeping on the floor if I'm taking your bed.

"How very chivalrous of you. However, there aren't any other beds in this house, unless you'd like to sleep in between my parents."

"The floor's fine."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." She was silent for a moment. A minute later, Sirius heard the bedsprings creak and felt something soft landing on his chest. Morgana stepped over him and laid down next to him, throwing a blanket over the two of them and handing him a pillow. In the soft light from the moon, he could make out her face, soft and content as she gave a small smile, her eyes closed as she curled up next to Sirius.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

**OxO**

"Sirius? Time to wake up, Sir." He groggily opened his eyes, Morgana kneeling down beside him, gently shaking his shoulder.

"What time is it?" The room was filled with golden sunlight streaming in through the window.

"About quarter after nine."

"How long have you been up?"

"Oh, about as long as my parents, a little less than three hours, maybe."

"What?!" Sirius yelped, immediately sitting up. "And you didn't wake me up?!"

"I thought you'd want to sleep since we woke up so early!"

"Not when I'm a guest in somebody's house!" He threw off the blanket, running over to his bag and hastily putting on a t-shirt after taking off his sleep shirt.

"My parents don't care and I don't either!" she said, looking extremely annoyed.

"Well I do!"

"No one in my family's like that! Well, save for my great-aunt when she was alive, but that's not the point."

"The point is I don't want to look like a lazy arse around your parents!"

"They won't think of you as a lazy arse! They'll think of you as Sirius Black who was staying up late!" Sirius stood in his boxers and t-shirt, leg in mid-kick, trying to throw off his pajama pants, his jeans in his hands as he looked horror-stuck.

"They don't think we… you know!" Morgana looked confused for a moment before taking on a look of complete shock and disgust and covering her face with her hands.

"That's appalling! Ugh! Gods, no! My parents know me better than that!"

"Just checking!"

"Why? Is that what _your_ parents would do?!"

"Please! As long as the girl was pureblood, I could do whatever I wanted, regardless of age! Not that I did, mind you!" he added.

"Well, I know that!" He could tell by the look in her eyes that Morgana was steadily getting more and more aggravated.

"Why are you so mad at me?!"

"How the hell should I know?!"

"How should I know how you should know?!"

"I don't know!"

"Neither do I! You were fine about thirty seconds ago!"

"Well, thinking that my family and I are stuck up and have to have everything happen at a certain time-!"

"I didn't want them to think I'm a lazy good for nothing!"

"So, you don't care what people think unless it's something absolutely stupid and menial?!"

"I…" He opened and closed his mouth several times before raising his eyebrows and forcing a smile. "Good-bye." Morgana mirrored his look.

"Good-bye." Sirius picked up his bag and walked over to the door, hesitating before he closed it.

"See you at school." She glared at the place where his head had been moments before, listening to him walking down the stairs. Morgana could hear a few words from his and her parents conversation before Sirius was showed out the back door to the corner of the fencing where he could apparate home. Morgana walked over to her window, his gaze locking with hers a moment before he disappeared with the faintest "pop."

She must have stood there for about five minutes, staring blindly at the fence before sighing and walking over to her dresser to read her aunt's letter once more. Sitting in the middle of her bed, she carefully read the second-to-last paragraph.

"I just let you down, didn't I, Tar?" she whispered. "I didn't show him that I care." She folded the letter back up and flopped down. "I'm just angry, I guess. I don't know a Christmas without you. I mean, I'd spend some Christmases at Hogwarts, but not without some goofy card from you. I shouldn't have snapped at him. I was out of line." She stared up at the ceiling, fumbling with her fingernail muttering incoherently.

"Morgana?" Mr. Harmons called up the stairs. She sighed before shouting back a response.

"Coming, Dad."

**OxO**

When classes resumed and vacation was over, word began to spread through the school that _the_ ladies' man Sirius Black had broken up with his three-and-a-half month girlfriend, Morgana le Fay, the one the Sirius Black Appreciation Club both hated and admired. First, the rumor started out slow, a whisper in the corridors, then a comment in the Great Hall. Neither Morgana nor Sirius had talked to the other since Christmas morning and it seemed as though none of their friends could change their minds.

"C'mon Pads! Just tell her you're sorry!"

"What've I got to be sorry for, Prongs?"

"Then at least talk to her about it!"

"Why? She'll just shoot me down again."

"Well, it's worth a try! Padfoot she-"

"-hates me."

"No, she cares about you. Just like you care about her."

"I-"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"What if she wants to end it?"

"Then you tried, but what do you think it looks like now? If I was a stranger, I'd say you two never even met before."

"I haven't said a word to her since Christmas. I can't even remember what we fought about… it wasn't a big argument either. Why should I say anything? If she wants me back, she can have me back, but _she_ has to make the first move."

"See, that's why you two are made for each other- you're both too damn stubborn for your own damn good! Remus talked to Lily and Morgana told her the exact same thing! 'He has to at least make the effort!'" James had said, doing a very good impression of Morgana.

"Well, that was… slightly disturbing. My best mate imitating my girl and succeeding with flying colors."

"At this rate, she'll _never be _your girl."

"She was my girl."

"Truthfully, I don't think the girl in question would talk kindly to being spoken of as a possession," a third voice said calmly. Sirius turned his attention to the dormitory door.

"Truthfully, I didn't ask you," he growled in reply.

"You have to excuse Mr. Padfoot, my dear Mr. Moony. He gets in his mood when he realizes someone else has made a point against him, especially when it's concerning the young, foxy lady le Fay."

"Duo meaning, excellent wording Mr. Prongs," Remus said, lazing on his bed while James stuck out his tongue at Sirius. "And if it's of any concern to Mr. Padfoot, I recently spoke to his vixen and her position on the matter at hand is unfixed. Of course, I don't think she remembers what you fought about any better than you do. Nevertheless… oh for Merlin's sake! Just talk to her, Sirius!"

"No."

"You two are unsettlingly similar sometimes! She gave me the exact same look when I told her to talk to you."

"How do you know she isn't lying to you? Maybe she doesn't want to get back together."

"Then why is she wearing that ribbon?" Sirius stopped staring at the ceiling of his four-poster and looked over at Remus, surveying him.

"She's still got the ribbon on?"

"Of course."

"Dammit! I forgot about the ribbon!"

"Why is that a bad thing?" James asked as Sirius sprung up from his bed.

"Then I could have apologized how long ago!"

"I thought she had to make the first move."

"Don't you see?! I thought she would shoot me down and tell me she didn't like me in the slightest! If she's still wearing the ribbon, she still likes me at least! That means I have a chance!"

"Well, go find her then!" Sirius let out a whooping shout and ran from the room, sliding down the marble banister and into the Common Room.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Sirius Black has arrived!" he shouted, landing on his feet gracefully and giving a showy bow. A few people clapped absentmindedly, causing the first years to applaud uncertainly. "Thank you, thank you! I wish you all a merry day! And if all goes accordingly, there will be a lovely firework display later on!" This announcement received more applause as Sirius dashed from the Common Room and into the corridor, running down the stairs two or three at a time.

"Hi, Sirius!" The boy turned as he heard a group of girls giggling behind him and to his left. If Morgana had been there, he could only imagine the glare she would be giving them. However, now was not the time to put anyone down.

"Hello, ladies," he said charmingly, leaning against the banister causing a few of the giddier girls to giggle even more.

"What are you doing, Sirius?" one of the bolder ones asked breathlessly.

"Why, my dear… hang on, I don't know your name!"

"Mel."

"Hello, Mel. Well, Mel, I'm looking for my girl. Hell, Mel, you know where she is?" he said with a goofy grin on his face. A moment later, he was off again, not waiting for an answer from the foolish gaggle of females. He checked the Great Hall- nothing. No one in the usual empty classrooms, she wasn't talking to a teacher, Morgana wasn't even in the library. Frustrated, he walked into an empty classroom, pulling his two-way mirror out of his pocket and calling for James.

"Pads?"

"Is Morgana in the Common Room?"

"Hang on a sec- Pete! Check if Morgana's in the Common Room, will you?" Sirius heard the quick footsteps of Peter as he jogged down the steps. James turned back to look at him once more. "No luck?"

"Checked everywhere- Owlery, classrooms, teachers, library, Chris and Ally haven't seen her since the end of classes. Morgana's no where."

"What teachers you talk to?"

"Sluggy, Flitwick, Binns, her Runes teacher, her Arithmancy teacher- she's no where."

"That's weird."

"She's not down there, Prongs!" Sirius heard Wormtail shout feebly.

"No such luck, mate."

"Well, I'll start heading back."

"See you in a bit." Sirius sighed and put the mirror back in his robes, running his hand through his hair and trudging from the room, resignedly.

"Black, what are you doing?"

"Looking for someone, Professor McGonagall."

"Who?"

"Morgana. You don't know where she is, do you?"

"Miss le Fay left a few hours ago with Miss Evans straight after classes. Mrs. Evans passed this afternoon." Sirius stomach lurched while the teacher looked stared at him, the usual look on her face, only a bit more somber.

"Do you… do you know when they'll be back?"

"I would imagine in a bit. Black, don't bother them tonight. Lily Evans has been expecting this for quite a while, as has everyone else, but it is still a huge blow to her, nevertheless."

"Yes, Professor. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Black." Sirius retreated back to the Common Room, his hands in his pockets.

"Password, Black?" The Fat Lady inquired as he approached her.

"Quick Quotes Quill."

"What? No remark for me?"

"Not right now."

"And you left in such a good mood!" As soon as she swung open, Sirius sulked in, a few people gave applause in hopes of a firework show, but they were greeted with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"What happened to you, Pads?" Peter asked when he entered the dorm.

"You didn't find Morgana?" Remus inquired absentmindedly, lost in a book.

"Let me guess, you found her, but she spit in your eye and/or turned you down in another way?" James said quickly.

"Didn't find her. She's gone. So's Lily."

"Probably some stupid girl thing," James replied, turning his attention back to his fingernail.

"Lily's mum died." Remus eyes jerked up as he remained completely still, Peter dropped whatever he had been holding onto his bed, James froze momentarily.

"What?"

"This afternoon, at St. Mungo's. She's gone." Prongs sat up in the blink of an eye, his eyes wide as he stared at Sirius.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." James looked down and rubbed his face, mussing his hair a few times.

"Poor Evans… that's gotta be…" They sat for a few minutes in silence, a rare occurrence for the four of them.

"McGonagall told they'd be back in a bit, probably."

"Should we wait downstairs?"

"I'm not going to ask Morgana tonight, it'd be too much."

"Good decision."

"Thanks, Moons." They said no more and silently walked down to sit on the steps going o the Common Room from their dorm. They waited as the number of people in the Common Room slowly dwindled down. By 11:30, well over three hours of waiting, the Common Room was empty as the portrait hole swung forward. Morgana emerged, her arm around Lily whose eyes were red and puffy. When they saw the four boys anxiously watching them on the steps, Lily whispered something to Morgana and proceeded up to the girls' dorms without a second glance as Morgana made her way over to the other four. Sirius noticed that her eyes looked slightly wet.

"How is she?" James asked, his voice hoarse as he got up to meet her.

"Devastated. She expected it, but it was still hard." James momentarily hugged the brunette girl, which seemed to take her by surprise, but she returned the favor. "Then some idiot had to use the 'o' word and she started crying. Completely dry eyes up until then." The others gave her an odd look- she mouthed the word "orphan."

"But she'll be of age in a week or two, right?" Remus said.

"Aye, but she'll be one for that long. The only official family she's got in this world is Petunia the Prissy and her walrus of a beau, Vernon Dursley, they plan on getting married, I guess."

"Was her sister there?" Morgana snorted at Peter's question.

"Would be nice, wouldn't it? What a sister should do. No, she refused to come to St. Mungo's. She sent a note saying that she'll be at the funeral and the will reading, but nothing else."

"You'd better go upstairs. Chris and Allie'll probably be asleep, they don't know. Lily'll need you." Morgana nodded at Remus's words before he pulled her into a hug. "We're here if you need, we're here for her if she needs. I know it'll be hard after your aunt." She hugged him tighter for a moment, before they let go, allowing Morgana to go up to her dorm. For a moment, blue eyes met grey, as she flicked her gaze over to Sirius, his eyes never leaving her while she spoke to the others. Sirius watched her vanish up the stairs before turning to his friends with a devilish smile on his face that could only mean one thing.

"Gentlemen, I have a plan."

**OxO**

"There're going to be more people out there tonight, Lils," Morgana said, gazing out at the Quidditch pitch from her window, a few spectators already filing into the stands.

"'Course! No one's really seen any play for a while. And what with the games starting up again soon, everyone'll be excited, even about practice."

"I hate having loads of people show up for practice though," she sighed. Morgana had gotten used to the crowd that gathered for the first practice after any break they had, but she still was uncomfortable with it. "I wish they'd show some support differently. Everyone has to get back into the swing of things since we're all muddled after break."

"Ignore them."

"I try, but they still bother me, only at practice though." Lily shook her head, smiling and gestured for them to leave.

"Come on, we'd best get you down to the pitch."

**OxO**

"It's alright, Kat, keep trying!" Morgana called over to the Keeper. The fifth year looked as if she would cry, Morgana had never seen her play so poorly. Neither Sirius nor James had shown up for practice which was about half over and no one had seen the Beater or the Captain, leaving Morgana to take charge while spectators sat below in the stands. "Kat, Beth's going to throw another one and try to make it in, just block it. You're brilliant, just a bit off right now."

"I haven't made one!" she called desperately. Morgana flew over to her so she could speak in a normal voice.

"Kat, you're a great Keeper. As soon as you block one, you'll get back to normal. Just stop one and it'll all be great, okay? One goal at a time." Katrine nodded determinedly, gazing off at Morgana's elbow. Morgana gave her another reassuring smile before flying back over to the white-blonde haired girl with the Quaffle. "Go easy on her; one save and her confidence'll be loads better, eh?"

"Right-o, Ana. Oi! Kat! Get ready!" Morgana slowly flew over to her available Beater, shaking her head.

"Pret, I'm so sorry. Once she gets one, we can get you into the practice. She's just doing so poorly!" The burly boy nodded.

"No problem. We'll probably have to have another practice anyway considering two players are missing."

"What idiots! I'm going to kill the two of them!"

"Don't do that until the season's over. The last thing we need right now are tryouts for a Beater and a Chaser."

"Change that to tryouts for a Beater, Prettel, my friend, you now have all three Chasers." Morgana turned her head to face James.

"Well, it's about bloody time you got here! Where the hell were you?! And where's Sirius dammit?!"

"Miss le Fay, is that how you talk to your Captain?"

"Shut it, Potter, answer my questions."

"Both should be answered in their own time which will be coming quite shortly."

"What?"

"Play on without Sirius for the time being. He'll be here in a bit."

"Well then go help Kat. It's the least you can do."

"Your wish…" he grumbled before flying off to the goal posts, relieving Beth of her duties for the moment.

"Prett, I'm exhausted."

"Same here, maybe we'll get off early." Morgana shook her head.

"I doubt it. Not unless we've got the pitch booked again this week." The younger boy groaned.

"We've got mounds of work."

"Same here. I miss the first year load."

"You said it." Morgana sighed and scanned over the crowd. This had to be the biggest turnout for a post-break practice that she had seen since she had entered Hogwarts. Not all of the people were Gryffindor either. She saw a handful of Ravenclaw students, a few Hufflepuffs scattered here and there, and (thankfully) no Slytherins. "Of course, when we were in first year, we always thought that we had too much. It's all a matter of perspective."

"Hindsight is 20/20."

"Yeah."

"When did you talk to Sirius last?" Morgana threw the boy a slightly ugly look.

"Christmas," she replied stiffly.

"Why so long?"

"We just… had a fight and never made up."

"What about, if you don't mind?"

"I can't even remember completely. I think it was something stupid like not waking him up earlier and then we did some name calling. It was really stupid, truthfully."

"Do you still care about him?"

"I'll always care about him."

"But, I mean… you know…"

"I really don't think that's any of your business." He put his hands up.

"No need to get defensive, just a simple question."

"Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Just a tad of small talk, that's all."

"There's more to it than that, Prett."

"No there's not."

"Yes, there is, you're a terrible liar," she pointed out, crossing her arms, her expression staying the same. He winced and moved his lips around, pursing them and puckering them.

"Bugger. That bad?" She threw him a sympathetic glance before replying.

"Well, not all that bad. Actually, pretty decent, just a bad excuse."

"So, I'm an average liar?"

"Yep."

"Wondrous."

"Isn't it?" He jerked his head upward before looking over towards the goal posts. "Don't think you're off the hook yet. Why did you ask?" He shrugged.

"Well, he wanted me to ask you because he wants you to be 'on topic' when he starts it."

"Starts what?" The younger boy looked at his watch and shouted over at James.

"Countdown, James?" From a distance, Morgana saw James look at his watch.

"Any minute now, Prett, my friend!" Morgana looked between the two of them, bewildered.

"What's going on? What's going to start? Prett?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Morgana."

"My pretty little head is defying you right now."

"Pity. It really is a pity."

"Tell me."

"You'll know soon enough." Morgana glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Sometimes I really hate you, you know."

"Well, you win some, you lose some," he replied, shrugging.

"Morgana!"

"What Potter?"

"Come over here for a second." Morgana flew over to the goal posts.

"Yeah?"

"What was that move Frank used to do when he would do that spin but completely change direction? You know, when he would flip the broom?" Morgana nodded and attempted to imitate Frank Longbottom's favorite move. She managed to flip back while spinning on the broom after a few tries. "Excellent. See, Kat? That's what you need to do. I think that'll help you since that broom's rubbish with turns…"

"Can we get her a new broom?"

"That's the only one left that'll fly semi-properly and we're out of luck with ordering brooms until the match after next, stores are all backed up."

"Maybe she could-"

"_You don't realize how much I need you,  
Love you all the time and never leave you,  
Please come back to me, I'm lonely as can be._

_Please come back to me…"_

"Where's that coming from?" Kat asked. James gestured up to the professors' stands. A lone figure stood, looking over the pitch.

"Sirius?!" Morgana breathed. Sure enough, she would recognize him anywhere. She felt James at her side.

"I think your pride will regret you fighting with him on Christmas, eh?" he whispered slyly. Morgana covered her mouth with her hands as she heard the music to one of her favorite songs in the background.

"_I think I'm gonna be sad,  
I think it's today, yeah.  
The girl that's driving me mad  
Is going away._

She's got a ticket to ride,  
She's got a ticket to ride,  
She's got a ticket to ride,  
But she don't care."

"That little… I'll kill him…" she said unconvincingly as Sirius continued on. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him… That cheesy… idiotic… stupid… embarrassing…"

"Morgana, shut him up! I'm getting a headache!" Kat said, wincing.

"He's not_ that_ bad!" James said defensively.

"He's not that _good_, either! Shut him up!" she repeated. Morgana flew over to Sirius in the stands and glared at him. His voice faltered while the music kept going. He lowered the wand at his throat.

"So, after not talking to you for how long I'm supposed to run into your arms, 'Oh, Sirius, I forgive you, my darling!'?" she said, mimicking older actresses in muggle movies.

"What did we fight about?" he said, his voice hoarse and a small smile on his lips.

"I don't know, I'm just supposed to be mad at you."

"If you did everything you 'supposed' you would have run into my arms, exclaiming your forgiveness and calling me cheesy, generic names." He looked down and ran his fingertips gently along her arm where the ribbon was tied. "You're still wearing it…"

"Do I have a reason to take it off?"

"We fought."

"Are you trying to convince me to talk to you or to argue with you some more?" she said, grinning. He didn't respond, just returned the grin. "Now you won't talk?"

"No need to," he pulled her closer to him. "And your not supposed to run… you're supposed to fall…" he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"Wow, I can almost taste the cheesiness!" she said, teasingly.

"I know, but hey, who doesn't love a good slice every once in a while?"

* * *

**A/N: **Who indeed. What a cheesy quote about cheesiness! Holy Shiznit. Long chappie. I was going to go a bit further with it, but I figure 1) you've waited long enough (LIKE, 5 MONTHS) 2) it's long as is and 3) I figured I'd leave you with a nice bit of cheese. Extremely cheesy, I know. The next chapters will have less cheese in them, so I thought I'd best get it out of my system. Plus, I had to add that slight reference to "10 Things I Hate About You" where Kat (noticed I got her name in there. Unintentional, actually.) is serenaded by the late Heath Ledger (I love you, baby)- you can't have that and not give it either a cheesy reaction or a reaction where someone gets in detention and another person has to flash someone. So, I decided to let Morgana keep her shirt and just make her feel like a nacho. Then, I kept checking this one over because… I just can't stand this chapter. I can't. I hate it, but I also hate to change it, so I'll save some time and effort. Well, I'll leave you with that and I hope you enjoyed it, I'll be back… with a new chapter! Sometime before I die.

By the way, I thought it was the Fanfiction gods' way of getting back at me- after I wrote the part about Tar's death, my own aunt (okay, great-aunt) passed away. Here's to you, Auntie Ann. Sorry we didn't come down to see you before, but we'll have to get up_ there_ eventually someday. I hope. (Gulp.)

Lots of Love Dot.


	15. Parallels

**A/N:** HAH! As I write this I just posted Chapter 14. It is 8:34. Huzzah! Seriously though guys, this is THE chapter. The last year of Hogwarts (not all of it, but the beginning of the end). Sad, I know.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned any single minute detail of the Potterverse, I would have a much larger and impressive autograph collection. Instead of just six…

**Warning:** Seeing as I haven't written any of this yet, I'm saying that there'll be some mild swearing, etc. Enjoy.

* * *

_**Chapter 15- Parallels**_

Morgana had been standing in the same spot for about a quarter of an hour. All she could do was stare up at her late aunt's house. She was afraid to go in, afraid of what she wouldn't see.

"Morgana? Morgana is that you?" She turned to the old muggle woman calling her name.

"Hey, Mrs. Kearney. How are you?"

"Oh, not too bad. What happened to Tarla?" Morgana stiffened. Of course the neighbors wouldn't know. Morgana's father had come one day to take her to live at their house. For the first two months, the le Fays could access Tarla's house, but once she died the house shut everyone else out. Morgana had finally received the will on Christmas, making her the sole beneficiary.

"She passed away."

"No! Oh, I'm so sorry, dear! How…?"

"She just… her health was getting bad, she couldn't remember most things. It was horrible towards the end… She died on September 20th. I was just going to go in and clean up a bit… see how everything was…" The old woman took the hint.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then. I'm so sorry, dearie. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, Mrs. Kearney. Have a nice day."

"You too, Morgana." Great, now she'd _have_ to go in. Morgana trudged up the front steps to the porch. The key was hot in her hand when she unlocked the door and entered.

Everything was just as it had been left, except for the inch of dust coating every single surface. She slowly walked through the huge dining room and into the kitchen, hesitantly opening the refrigerator. Her mother being such a neat freak, Morgana figured she would have cleaned out the fridge before Tarla moved out- apparently she forgot. Morgana hastily closed the door. She had all day to clean the house. She had left a note for her parents, telling them that she would handle everything and they didn't need to worry, she'd be back either that night or tomorrow morning. She made her way back to the living room, stopping to straighten a blanket or a tablecloth, even though they'd have to be disrupted again when she cleaned. She sat on the couch, her chin resting on her hands. She should call Sirius. She hadn't talked or written to him in a few days and he'd start to worry soon. She walked over to the phone, happy her dad had started paying for the bill since break began. As soon as the house was cleaned up, it'd be completely livable. She dialed the Potters' number, knowing it by heart.

"Hello?" some one said loudly on the other end, blowing her ear drum.

"James? You don't have to talk so loud!"

"Morgana? Sorry, I still don't know how this stupid muggle thing works," he replied at a normal tone.

"It's okay. Hey, is Sirius there?"

"Just a second…" she heard him bounding up the stairs and banging on a door. "Oi! Git! Morgana's on the telephone!" A moment later, she heard the door fly open.

"Give it here! Hello?"

"Sirius?"

"I thought you were avoiding me or something!"

"I've been busy, that's all. How are things?"

"Good. Moony's stopping by today. He'll be here in… about an hour or so and leave around five. What are you up to lately?"

"Oh, just homework and some smaller stuff. Now I'm over at Tar's house. I'll start cleaning in a bit." She paused. "I miss you."

"Do you want me to come over there?"

"I'll be fine."

"You sure? I could come over right now. Spend the day."

"Remus is going to be over by you! You stay where you are! I'm just cleaning- boring stuff."

"I haven't seen you in three weeks. I'm coming over."

"Wait until Remus leaves, at least. I'll be here all day."

"I'll be there at four."

"Remus is leaving at five…"

"He'll be fine without me for an hour."

"But-"

"Do you want me to come over or not?" She smiled.

"Of course I do. You know that!" She could tell he was smiling too.

"It's nice to hear though. Merlin, I miss you."

"You'll see me in a few hours!"

"Why don't I just stop over right now? I could be there in three minutes!"

"If you come over now, you'll never leave and I'll never get anything done! Give me a few hours to work!" she laughed.

"Fine. I'll see you in a bit, then."

"Alright."

"Morgana… I…"

"I know."

"Bye, love."

"Bye." She slowly hung up the phone, smiling. She'd have to start cleaning eventually. Then she could clean herself up before he came. Maybe Sirius could spend the night over at Tarla's. She had brought anything she would need. All she would have to do would be to run to the grocery store and buy some food.

"That would require cleaning out the fridge…" She would wait a while on that one.

She started off by opening every window in the house, letting in the fresh summer air before heading out to the front porch to hose off the steps and water the perennial flowers her aunt had planted years ago. She made her way through the house, dusting off every piece of furniture and cleaning each window, using both magic and muggle cleaning. She even managed to find a muggle carpet cleaner, getting the majority of dust out of the carpeting. She raided her aunt's records and found her collection of Beatles albums, throwing one of them into the player and turning it up to be a bit more than background noise. She was washing the kitchen floor, singing along to Lady Madonna when she looked up.

"Morgana?" She jumped up, knocking over the wash bucket and whipping out her wand.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to look as dangerous as possible, a difficult task when the man towered over her, the record still shouting in the background.

"Morgana?" he repeated. The intruder was wearing a black t-shirt stretched over his muscles. A few light scars graced his face, his black eyebrows knitting together below his thick hairline. He would have been about the same age as her aunt, a few years younger maybe, but he was much more massive. He looked a little familiar.

"That's me. What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, I should have waited, but you didn't hear me knock. I saw the windows were open, you must have finally found the will."

"It came at Christmas. Who are you?" she growled, her eyes narrowed.

"Lord, you've grown! Last time I saw you, you were a tiny string bean, just before you went to start at Hogwarts! I kept in touch with your aunt, I heard you were doing well. I thought you would have figured out who sent you that key and would have put two and two together, the way Tar talked about you. Well, one mystery you left unsolved I guess. Maybe there's not much mystery when your godfather gives you a Christmas gift." Morgana's eyes widened, her wand clattering to the floor.

"Steve!?" She ran over to him, throwing her arms around his strong neck as he laughed, his short beard scratching her shoulder. He put her down. "I thought you were on the run."

"It was all a misunderstanding, the charges were dropped. They thought I made some massive explosion in a muggle shopping mall. It's all cleared up though, someone else did it."

"Well, that's… good."

"How have you been?"

"Not too bad. It's been hard since she died, but things have gotten better. At first I felt horrible all the time, but even now… when I'm here… I'm a lot happier than I would have been. How about you?"

"Same here. I was going to come to the funeral, but I wasn't cleared yet."

"You miss her." He nodded, staring at the floor. "Me too."

"Even if we never did get… Even though the engagement was called off… I still loved her."

"She still loved you too." They stood there for a minute, saying nothing.

"So, you're cleaning?"

"Yeah, this place was a right mess. I still have to clean up the basement, backyard, upstairs, and the fridge."

"Here, I'll help," he flicked his wand, cleaning up the spilled bucket. "I'll do the rest of the kitchen and the basement. You can do the upstairs and we'll split the backyard. One of us can throw the blankets in the wash and air out the rugs."

"I'll let you do the kitchen and the basement. I'll do the rest."

"That's stupid, the basement won't be too much, it's just a bigger area down there. I really should do the entire yard."

"Do you know what the kitchen entails?"

"What? Clean the dishes since they probably have loads of dust on them, get out the cobwebs, clean the stove, clean out the fridge."

"_Look_ in the fridge first." Steve raised an eyebrow and strolled past her and opened up the door.

"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!"

"_That_ is what happens to food when it's been in a refrigerator for months and the electric wasn't on for at least one month."

"Jeez! This is worse than a nuclear warhead!"

"Told you it was bad."

"Magic'll do it."

"Not all of it. You'll have to breathe in that satisfying aroma it's producing."

"Something moved!"

"Merlin, close the damn door already!" He shut it quickly.

"I think we'll go with your original plan."

By two, the house was as good as new. The basement had been cleaner than expected and the upstairs had a few more inches of dust than they thought, so Steve had decided to take backyard duties while Morgana cleaned her aunt's bedroom. She was cleaning off the last dresser when she found what she had been looking for. It was an almost black, wooden, rectangular box. If she spread out her hands and held them thumb to thumb, that would have been how long it was. There were intricate designs carved into the sides of it, a beautiful carving etched into the top of it, a small blood-red stone resting in the middle of the carving. She hesitantly took the key Steve had given her for Christmas and pushed it into the small lock on the front of the box. The latch undid with a small click and the lid popped and opened a hair. She lifted the cover to reveal the contents of the box. It was filled with folded letters, a small book of poems at the bottom. There were the tiniest vials filled with a silvery substance, neither liquid nor gas. A few pictures mingled in with the letters and an even smaller box contained a ring and a matching necklace. She noticed they were letters from her aunt to Steve, usually talking about Morgana or what she and Steve had once done. After several minutes she shook her head; she would have to look at it later, right now she had to finish cleaning up the room. A little while later, she made her way downstairs, just as Steve came in from outside.

"Excellent timing," he said, walking up the stairs. He sat down at the kitchen table, wiping his brow. "We should make something to eat. It's about three."

"I could go to the store."

"I'll go and be back in a few minutes. You can clean yourself up while I make supper. You're filthy. It'll only take me a minute to hop in the shower." She nodded and went to her purse.

"How much do you need for the groceries?"

"I'll pay."

"I have the money right here."

"I have a wallet, Morgana. I'm your godfather, I'm supposed to take care of you. Now, go clean yourself up. I haven't seen you without dust for years." She grinned and grabbed her bag, retreating to the bathroom.

"Be sure you get enough food! I know you eat enough for a village and you're not the only one."

"You've always eaten like a bird!"

"We're having company tonight."

"Who?"

"Sirius."

"Ooo! Morgana's got a boyfriend, Morgana's got a boyfriend!"

"Yes, I do. That's why I wanted to pay."

"Nonsense. What's that, number fifty?"

"Number three."

"Tarla said you had the guys lined up from here to Austrailia!"

"Not quite. I've had a few offers, but I only took the ones I saw fit."

"Well, I can't wait to meet him. Hang on… isn't he the one I fixed Pa Harmons watch for?"

"That's the one."

"Pretty serious about him?"

"I'm 17, going on 18. Serious (S-E-R-I-O-U-S) isn't quite in my relationship vocabulary. He's my best friend along with Lily."

"Well, enough small talk, go get cleaned up. I'm unna go rustle up some grub!" he added with a cowboy accent.

"Yeehaw!" By the time Morgana emerged from the bathroom, hair dry, fresh clothes on, Steve was cooking something, some of the groceries still on the table. Morgana made quick work of them and began setting the table.

"I can leave and give you kids some alone time."

"Don't be silly! We'll probably just hang out. I haven't seen him in about three weeks, so we'll be happy, whatever we're doing." Steve nodded.

"Gotcha. Hey, is there a bigger knife around here? I don't see any."

"Check in the basement. Tar started doing some strange things before she moved in with us." He obediently went down to the basement as someone knocked at the door. "Coming!" Morgana hurried over to the front of the house, beaming. She opened the door to reveal Sirius. He quickly hugged her to him, running his fingers through her hair. "You're right on time."

"Did you think I was going to be late?" he said, letting go of her.

"No, I thought you'd be early."

"I thought you'd yell at me if I was early," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"I would have. You shouldn't blow off your friends for me."

"I haven't seen you in so long."

"You haven't seen Remus since you saw me. We can hang out whenever, you know that."

"I know. I just really needed to see you."

"Well, let's get in. Are you staying for the night?"

"If that's okay. I figured I'd bring along my stuff in case you wanted me to stay."

"Sounds good. Put your things in that room off the dining room. I have to check dinner."

"Alright." Sirius walked into the dining room and turned to his left, opening the door to a spare bedroom. The entire room was deep red with hints of gold. Farthest from the door was a bed covered in pillows and a rich looking bedspread. He put his things at the foot of it and walked back out to go to the kitchen. He turned the corner, grinning. When he finally looked over into the kitchen, he felt his blood boil. Who was that? Why was he holding a knife? Why didn't Morgana acknowledge the other's presence? It clicked. _He was after her._ Everything was a blur, his mind could only process four words-

_knife… Morgana… kill… break... _

He ran at the man, feeling his fist collide with his face, knocking the older man over, beating every inch of him that he could. He punched the floor twice and felt himself hit the sink a few times when he pulled back his fist.

"Sirius! Sirius! Stop!" He felt small hands pull at his arm, still raised for a punch.

"Morgana!" She must have put all her weight into it to pull his arm back. She slowly managed to bring him to a standing position.

"Sirius… Sirius… Sirius… this is Steve… this is my godfather…" she said, pushing him back.

"He was coming towards you with a knife!"

"To cook supper!" She turned to look at her godfather and went over to him once Sirius was calmed down, his eyes wide. "Steve, you okay?!"

"It's not as bad as it looks, I can heal it." Morgana knelt down beside him and checked out his face which was covered in bruises and blood. "That's quite a punch you have there, Sirius," he said breathlessly as Morgana helped him up. "I'm fine, love, just fine. I'll go clean myself up and be back in a second. You won't even have to worry about checking on the dinner." He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Sirius!" Morgana hissed.

"I thought he was coming at you!"

"I tried to pull you off, didn't that tell you something!"

"I wasn't thinking!"

"You never do!" she slapped his chest, her hand colliding with his unintentionally. He gasped. "What did you…? Here, come into the living room." Morgana led him in and sat him down on the couch. "Does this hurt?" she asked, prodding his hand.

"Ah! Yes!" She gently ran her fingers over his injured hand, barely touching the skin.

"Broken. Look at all these cuts! What am I going to do with you?!" She glanced up at him to see that he was covering his face with the other hand.

"Just leave it. Leave it, I'll go. I've already beat up your godfather for cooking dinner for us, I'll just leave."

"No! Sirius, please don't leave! Please!"

"You want me to go, it's okay, I'll just leave now. I'll go back home."

"It's alright! I don't want you to leave! Steve isn't upset either! Sir, please don't go!" He made to get up, but she pushed him down gently by the shoulders and knelt in front of him, lightly kissing his face. "Please… please stay… please…"

"Alright, I'll stay." She grinned before turning back to his hand. "You know, you're very dangerous."

"Oh?"

"You could persuade me to do just about anything. You could persuade most people to do just about anything."

"No, only you." She began healing the scrapes and bruises on his hand, humming a song.

'_Probably the Beatles…'_ he thought, smiling. She looked up at him for a moment and grinned. "I'll have Steve fix the bones. I'm too afraid to do it myself. Don't worry, I'm sure he won't take it personally," she added, chuckling. "Steve's a great guy, you'll like him. I know you two will get along just fine."

"Sure, once he gets over the fact that I made his face into a burger."

"Believe me, he got loads worse from Tarla. Especially when she found out how much he spent on her engagement ring. She was furious."

"They were engaged?"

"Of course. They were engaged for years. They were maid of honor and best man at my parents' wedding and got engaged about… maybe a year later. They were always great friends. The two of them called it off a few years back. Tar didn't want him to sit around with her after she got hit with… well… she didn't want him to sit around and see her die. So, she caused some tension and he left her after a while because he thought she didn't want to stay tied down just before she died. They constantly kept in touch. I guess they were kind of the same person, really. Breaking it off with him was probably the hardest thing she ever had to do. She still wore the ring until she died."

"I wish I could have met her… before it happened."

"She would have loved you." She tenderly grazed her fingers along his injured hand. "You kept hitting him, even when your hand was busted?!"

"I thought he was going to kill you. No one'll touch you if I'm there. Never. I'll fight to the death." She carefully kissed his hand, holding it to the side of her face.

"Just make sure that it's never to yours. I wouldn't be able to take it."

"Don't say that."

"I-"

"Sirius? How's your hand?" Morgana didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed that for once in his life, Steve was oblivious.

"I was hoping you would mend the bones. I managed to heal the scrapes, but I didn't want to screw something up," Morgana said, turning to him. Steve smiled at her, his face back to normal.

"Good idea. Here, I'll look." Sirius hesitated for a moment before he let Steve look at his hand. "Relax, man, I'm not holding anything against you. It's pretty cool that you'd do that for her."

"I thought so, too," Morgana added, giving them both a reassuring smile.

"Alright, this'll twinge a bit…" Morgana knew that Steve was a little too tolerant of pain- "twinge" would be an understatement. She took Sirius' other hand in both of hers and felt him clench his fist as Steve muttered and incantation and then unclench it as he pulled his wand away, his face set. "Good as new. I'll go finish dinner." Morgana and Sirius were alone once again, staring at each other, small smiles on both of their faces.

"So…" Morgana said quietly. "How was your day before… you came over?"

"Oh, not bad. We've come up with several pranks for our last year, a very nice one for graduation… Several ways to get Evans to go out with Prongs…"

"Sirius!"

"Look how happy we are! Don't you want Lily to be that happy?!"

"Oh, don't pull that one on me! We all know that's not why you're doing this! Just don't try to force her into anything, okay?"

"Wasn't going to." He stretched his hand a few times. "You _are_ happy… aren't you?" She smiled.

"If I wasn't, would you be here?" He grinned widely.

"Come on. I have to go make it up to your godfather for attacking him."

**OxO**

Sirius lay out on the porch by the wicker couch Morgana was sleeping on. He was watching the moonlight spill across her soft face as she muttered things in her sleep. Sometimes she was talking to Lily about gossip she heard at school or maybe studying for exams. Now, she would furrow and relax her brow, a soft "no" escaping her lips every once in a while. She was trying to push something away, thrashing, whimpering.

"No! I won't do it! No!" Sirius put the back of his fingers to her cheek, but it only calmed her for a moment. "No… Mum! Dad!... No… Chris!… Allie!... No… No, stop… please!... James! Remus… Lily! Not Lily… No, no please… anything… Me… me instead of… no… Sirius! No! Sirius!"

"Morgana! Morgana, I'm right here!" She hugged her knees to her, tears streaming down her face.

"No! Sirius… no…" she sobbed. Sirius picked her up and cradled her in his arms, sitting back down.

"Shh… Morgana, wake up… it's all a bad dream. Nothing's happened, you're safe, right here. Right here in my arms… Shh… it's okay… Everything's all better." Her eyes were half-open, partially awake.

"Sirius?"

"It's me, love. You're okay." Her eyes were now a bit more open.

"Everyone… they killed everyone. He killed Peter, James, Remus… Chris and Allie, Lily, my parents… I… I saw you- dead. You were dead at my feet…"

"You don't need to worry, it's all a bad dream…" She ignored him.

"They wanted me to join, but I said no… and they killed everybody and left me there…"

"Who's _they_?"

"Voldemort's followers… I saw _him_, Sirius… He's… He's…"

"You won't have to worry about him, it was all a dream…"

"Sirius, it's getting worse." She was wide awake now. "There are more and more people dying everyday."

"Dumbledore'll take care of it. You'll never have to worry about him." She shook her head impatiently.

"You know better than that. Don't lie…" She laid her head on his strong shoulder. "There's an organization… It's called the Order of the Phoenix. I heard McGonagall talking to Dumbledore last year. They're trying to bring it all together and they need more members, members that are of age and out of school…" Sirius tensed up. "I want to join after graduation."

"No."

"Sirius, this is the only way. This is the only way we can stop all these people from getting hurt!"

"No. You'll be killed."

"Then I'll take as many as I can with me. If we do nothing, everyone will be killed. Sirius, listen to me!" He held her tighter.

"I won't let you die. I'll move you far away from here, somewhere he'll never find you. No one'll die."

"I'm not worried about me! He won't stop! I'm a big girl now, I can take care of myself. If they let me, I'm joining. With or without you."

"Be reasonable-" Her eyes were livid now.

"I_ am_ being reasonable! They're considering asking us just before we leave this year."

"When did you hear all of this?" His tone was stern.

"Dumbledore wanted to talk to me at the end of the year so I went to his office. I went to knock, but I heard him talking to McGonagall. The thing is… I think he _wanted_ me to hear it."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, not right now, at least. We'll talk about it later, I'll think about it, okay?" She nodded reluctantly against his neck, vowing to bring it up again but not wanting to fight.

"Promise me that you'll consider it. I've thought about it a lot and… this is the only way."

"I promise. Now, let's get you inside, go back to sleep," he muttered, carrying her into the house.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking."

"And I'm perfectly capable of carrying." He set her down on the guest bed, the muffled snoring of Steve a few rooms away barely audible. "Is Lily staying with you?"

"Yeah, she thought she would just hang out and read while I was over here."

"I don't mind."

"Neither do I. She likes to have time to herself. My parents set up a room for her when she started staying with us. It's cool having her around."

"James wants to see her."

"James always wants to see her."

"What's she think of him?"

"He's grown on her a bit, but he would still need to shape up a bit more before she accepts."

"Well then, we'll have to fix him a bit more," he said, laying down at Morgana's back. "Maybe you could come over one day and see how much we'll have to do. Bring Lily too."

"Why don't we wait until school's back in session? Then, they'll have to see each other and Lily'll become more and more used to the change and she'll have to see him everyday, she can't just stop seeing him. Head Girl duties are calling."

"You _are_ tricky."

**OxO**

Morgana was at Tarla's house again, she had spent the day with Steve and they were now cleaning up dinner.

"She never really was a great cook," Steve said fondly.

"Yeah, I stayed here one summer, going into third year, and we either got carry-out or I cooked. You on the other hand…"

"I cook okay."

"Better than okay, more like… awesomely." He laughed.

"Glad you think so."

"So, where are you living these days?"

"I'm in an apartment a few blocks from here. I got a decent- hell of a lot more than _decent_, really- sum of money when they found out that I was innocent, so I've just been renting. I don't know what to do with it all. I never have to work again. It just keeps coming to me… quite generously too."

"Will you take the house?" Morgana asked, drying the last dish.

"What?"

"Take her house. This house. You could live here."

"You'll want to live here when you're older."

"I couldn't live here, it reminds me too much of her. And I could never sell it to a stranger. I'm giving it to you."

"I'm not taking your house."

"Then buy it from me."

"No, because she wanted you to have it. She left it to you."

"Then rent it." He stared at the soapy water in the sink as if the bubbles were giving him a word-for-word answer. "You can maintain everything- plumbing, yard stuff, cleaning- and that'll be your payment."

"I'm going to do all that and pay you money."

"But-"

"I'll keep everything up (using my own money for repairs and junk), pay all the bills, all the taxes, and pay you."

"Fine. You'll pay me a galleon a month."

"Don't be silly."

"Well, it's my house, I'll tell you how much you'll pay me."

"One galleon is ridiculous. Make it… two hundred galleons."

"_Two hundred!_ That's insane!"

"Fine. Officially, I'll give you one hundred, but I can always pay you more." She had lost, she could tell it in his tone of voice. No one argued with Steve, it always ended badly.

"Fine."

"Okay."

"Alright."

"Sounds good."

"Excellent."

**OxO**

"I have to go to the Prefects' compartment early, now," Lily told Morgana as they entered their own compartment. "I have to hand out-"

"As you've told me a thousand times before. Just try to hurry back, this'll be the last time we're going to Hogwarts on the train as students."

"I know… it's so sad, isn't it? These've been the best years of my life and now…"

"Well, we've got a few more months to think about that."

"I suppose."

"Now, go to your little hoity-toity meeting with Big-Head James!" Morgana teased.

"Gee, thanks for the support. Hey, get me something off the trolley if I'm not back by then, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Don't give me that! I've got it covered!" Morgana said, pushing away the money bag Lily was handing her. "You forget that I have a tenant."

"You sure?"

"How much could it possibly be?! Now hurry up or you'll be late! Not a good first impression!" Lily grinned and then hurried off, leaving her money bag on the seat as the train pulled away from the station. Morgana picked it up and put it into her friend's bag, humming and turning to look out the window at the scenery passing by. Something warm covered her face, turning the world black.

"Boo."

"Boo who?"

"Aw, Morgana, don't cry. It's only me, coming to kidnap you." She rolled her eyes.

"Shove off, Sirius!" she laughed, turning around. "I don't take kindly to being kidnapped, you know. Especially if you're going to shower me with your corny jokes!"

"Well then I'll have to make it so you won't want to run away…" he growled into her ear, pinning her arms to his chest.

"So, did you miss me or what?"

"I saw you a total of three times over the summer, all in one week!" His tone remained a low growl

"But now you get me for ten whole months. You'll see me so much, you'll get sick of me!"

"Never," he mumbled, softer this time. "Impossible."

"Oh, stop! You're embarrassing!" she joked, he held her at arm's length, surveying her seriously.

"Don't you want me as your boyfriend?"

"Of course I do, but… what you want…"

"Morgana, if we did what I wanted, we'd have a serious problem. I'm not going to screw things up for you, especially if you're not one hundred percent sure that I'm what you want."

"I'm _two thousand_ percent sure! You don't understand, Sirius. If you wa-"

"Oh, we'll come back later. Nevermind." Morgana and Sirius broke apart, turning to Chris and Allie standing in the doorway.

"No, guys, it's fine. Come back in," Morgana said, smiling.

"We're just going to drop off our stuff and go see Laurel."

"Alright. Check on Mary, will you?"

"Can do," Sirius took both of their trunks and hoisted them up to the rack. "Thanks. See you later." Chris led Allie swiftly out of the compartment and down the hall, Morgana shut the door behind them, turning back to Sirius with a grin on her face. He chuckled.

"Well, that's one way to clear a room," she laughed, resting her head on his shoulder briefly.

"Apparently. You look tired."

"I barely slept last night, or the nights before. I couldn't. I just kept thinking about how this was the last time…"

"Yeah, but once we graduate it'll all be the same, only better. Just think- no homework (might be a bummer for you), sleeping in, no pesky Slytherins, no more getting yelled at in the halls; but, everyone else'll be there."

"I'll still miss it."

"Maybe you could fail this year and just keep repeating seventh year. If you do decide to do that, please warn me beforehand. I might as well stay too." She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Well, I don't plan on it, but you'll be the first to know if I change my mind."

"It's the least you can do since I gave you such a pretty ribbon."

"Naturally," she yawned, quickly covering her mouth.

"Here, sit down. Take a nap or something."

"Maybe I'll just close my eyes for… for a minute," she said, taking her seat next to Sirius. He moved down so she could stretch out over the seat, her head resting on his leg.

"Go to sleep for more than a minute, love. You're exhausted, I'll be here." She reached up, blindly searched, and knotted her fingers with his before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

**OxO**

Morgana was still asleep, her head resting on Sirius' leg. He looked at his watch- James and Lily should have been back a while ago. He frowned at the window- what was taking them so long? He loved being with Morgana (_'Even if she's asleep…'_) but he still wanted to go back to his compartment. He really didn't want to leave Morgana alone for fear of anything happening to her. There were enough disappearances already and even thought he was certain that nothing would happen, he didn't like the feeling he got when he knew she was alone and unprotected. Maybe he could wake her up and take her back by Remus and Peter and she could go back once Lily returned. He gently brushed a stray bit of hair off of her face. She could be a danger to herself, really. She had a temper that hadn't exactly improved over the years, even if she looked more and more innocent every time he saw her sleeping. True, everyone looked peaceful and calm when they slept, but Morgana made everyone else look like a… a…

"An angry, drunk rock band …" he muttered. Yeah, that'd work.

He continued to gaze at her serene face- why did she want _him_? Sirius Black, of all people?

'_I'm not kind, I'm not a good student. I'm arrogant, foolish, lazy, rude, immature…'_

"Why me? Why did you chose me of all people?!" he whispered to her.

"Because she's not as smart as everyone makes her out to be," someone said smoothly from the doorway. Sirius stiffened as he turned towards Snape. "She's foolish."

"I happen to whole-heartedly _dis_agree, but must say this: brains aren't everything. Actually, in your case, they're nothing," Sirius said simply, a false smile on his face. He got up as he spoke, carefully resting Morgana's head on the seat, not wanting to wake her for a few reasons.

"How creative. Did a three-year-old tell you that one? In any case, I'm not here to insult your girlfriend. Where's Lily?"

"How the hell should I know?! No one else makes her report back what she's doing every moment of everyday!"

"I wanted to be sure she knew what she was getting into when she was hanging around _her_," he spat, jerking his head towards Morgana. Sirius narrowed his eyes, snarling.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"As long as you're obsessed with le Fay, Lily would be exposed to you and your _friends_."

"Lily and Morgana are like sisters, deal with it. As for the Marauders, what do you know? We may not be the greatest guys in the world but we're not prejudiced arse-wipes who don't bathe!" By now, the two were circling each other like wolves, wands drawn.

"You think you're so much better than everyone else, Black, but your life is worthless." In the blink of an eye, Sirius' wand soared into the Slytherin's hand and his voice was silenced. They stopped circling immediately, Sirius' silver eyes flashing malevolently. "Pity, you won't have time to say anything to your girlfriend before you're laid up in St. Mungo's for the next few weeks, months even. I know it'll cost me, but it'll be so worth it, Black. I'll relish this. I truly do hate you." Quicker than Snape had been, Morgana was standing behind the stringy boy, her wand to his throat immediately awake.

"I'm sure the feeling's mutual," she hissed, eyes narrowed. At the same time, Sirius snatched his wand from Snape's left hand. A thousand things seemed to happen at once.

"Sectumsempra!" the pallid boy roared at Sirius while Morgana shot a spell at Snape. His elbow collided with her face and the curse shot past Snape and hit Sirius as her wand flew across the room. He flew back and up and hit the luggage, the rack collapsing causing the trunks to bury him. As Snape turned, Morgana acted fast and threw a kick at his torso before getting up to knock his wand from his hand.

"Maybe you fight dirty when you use magic, but I have a fairly decent right hook as well. And seeing as neither has a wand-" Morgana swung at him, feeling her elbow unintentionally hit after her fist somehow, but she knew that he would do he same if he had the chance. She pushed him back against the wall, watching him trip and crumple. After a moment, he slowly got up, raising his face to her as he looked through his greasy curtain of hair, blood pouring out of his hooked nose. "Had enough?"

"I'll get you yet."

"Have you had enough?" she said more forcefully, he only panted. "Get out."

"Give me my wand first."

"I'll get it to you eventually. Get out before I kick you out that window. Now." He shot her a filthy look before slinking out of the compartment.

For a moment, Morgana felt extremely triumphant. True, it wasn't the right thing to do, but he would have done worse to her without a moment's hesitation- at least he had _walked_ away. Suddenly she remembered Sirius and ran over to where he was, pulling her trunk off of him.

"Sirius?" she knelt down beside him, holding up his head. His muggle clothes were covered in blood from the long, deep gash running across his face. "Sirius? Sirius! Come on, wake up, love! Ennervate!" She tried to heal the wound but it did no good, she couldn't even revive him. She acted fast and reached into his pocket, pulling out the small mirror she had given him so long ago. "James Potter!" Nothing. "Remus Lupin!" A moment later, Remus' face appeared in the mirror she was holding.

"Hey, Morgana, I was just going to ca- what happened?!" Her face had to be covered in blood.

"I need you to get down here- quick! Sirius… I can't heal it!"

"Stay right there! I'll be down by you in a minute!" He disappeared and Morgana tossed the mirror on the opposite seat before turning back to Sirius. She took off her jacket and pressed it to part of his face to try to stop, unsure of how hard she should press. He was still losing so much blood, but Morgana didn't want to put so much pressure on his face that she would hurt him even more.

"Hold on, just hold on a little longer, Remus'll fix you up…" She put her hand on his chest, feeling it rapidly rise and fall as she pressed her other hand to his face, knowing that it wouldn't do much good to stop the bleeding. She wrapped the jacket around her hand and pressed it to his face once more, feeling helpless, useless. What could she do? She only knew the most basic healing spells, memorizing other charms that would come in handy. "James and Remus won't always be there to heal everyone… I've got to learn too…" Morgana bent her head down so that it was next to his, resting her forehead on the seat, her hand still pushing on his cheek. A moment later, she snapped up as the compartment door opened, Remus running in at full speed, his robes billowing behind him.

"Morgana, wha- oh my God…" Remus' eyes fell upon Sirius and he was whipping out his wand immediately, rushing to his side. "What happened?"

"Snape… he…" Peter jogged into the room, panting.

"What's going… holy…" The small boy immediately turned a very light shade of green.

"Peter, why don't you go out in the corridor and make sure no one tries to come in. We don't want to make a big deal out of this," Remus said, quickly picking up on his feelings. Peter was still petrified.

"Pete- go. Corridor. Now!" Morgana said, pointing out past the door. He nodded and slid the door shut behind him. She walked over and stood uselessly by the window, her gaze fixed on Remus' face. All of his features were tight, carefully blank. He showed no emotion as he traced his friend's wound.

"I'm better with animal bites… this is completely different… it's doing next to nothing."

"It's better than what I could do…"

"You did the best you could, but there're only so many spells one teenage witch can memorize before her head explodes." His voice was kind and calming, trying to reassure her, but she could tell he was beyond worried. She reached forward and took Sirius' hand in hers. Remus continued to mutter spells, the blood still flowing freely. A minute later, the compartment door slid open again, this time, James Potter's hard face looked between the three of them.

"Move" was all he said. In a heartbeat, Remus had pulled Morgana down to sit on the opposite seat, forcing her to let Sirius' hand fall to his side. He put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"James'll take care of it. He's excellent with healing spells," he gently wiped below her eye with his thumb- she hadn't even noticed the tears. "Are you hurt?" Seeing the tears made her voice choke.

"I don't think so…"

"Well, you've got a huge bruise by your eye, anything else?"

"Not that I know of." He quickly tapped his wand by the side of her left eye. She felt it tingle for a moment and then return to normal.

"Good as new." They sat in silence for a few minutes, James' muttering the only sound in the compartment. After a while, he stepped back. Sirius' face was still covered in blood, but the gash was completely gone- not even a soft pink line marking the place.

"I'm done," James said simply, his face set. He swished his wand, sending the trunks which scattered the floor up to the rack. "What happened?"

"Snape came in looking for Lily… Things got outta hand and Snape took his wand. I got up and… it all happened so fast. Sirius hit the luggage rack and it collapsed and he got hit with that curse… I broke his nose and kicked him out. If I would have known how much he had done, they would have had to pick up the pieces to get him out of here…" Both boys twitched the corners of their mouths simultaneously.

"Go clean him up," James said gruffly, after a moment. Remus released her and she ran up to Sirius' side, conjuring a bowl and filling it with water before making a cloth appear to clean away the blood on his face. She gently rinsed the blood out of his thick hair and cleaned the blood from his neck and collarbone. Soon enough, Remus and James were out in the hallway, probably standing guard in case Snape came back. She put her jacket under his head before resting her own head on the seat near his hip, putting his arm around her neck and shoulder. She couldn't tell how long she sat like that before she heard him sigh.

"Morgana?" She sat up in an instant. He had never looked so pale, his skin completely devoid of color. Sirius looked exhausted, but his eyes seemed to brighten when he saw her.

"You're awake!"

"You look _bloody_ beautiful," he croaked, smiling. "I'm hoping that the blood's mine. If it's yours, I'll have to kill someone."

"I'll have to kill someone because it's yours. I cleaned yours off of you too."

"My blood isn't worth a life sentence. Now, come here, let me clean up _your_ face."

"I'll clean it up, it'll only take a second." She gave him a look. "I insist."

"This is silly."

"I'm only returning a favor. Now come here," he attempted to sit up, but gasped an instant later.

"Here, let me-"

"Take care of you, first. Clean up," he exhaled. She splashed the water in the bowl on her face and ran her wand around her head, cleaning her hair. She patted her face with the bottom of her shirt and turned back to Sirius.

"Better? Now, what's going on?"

"It's nothing."

"Why are you trying to hide things from me, you know it's useless."

"That's right, I have a mind-reader in my midst. You know-"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm fine, I just got up too fast."

"Bull. Take off your shirt."

"What?"

"Go on, take it off, it's not like I haven't seen anything before." He grinned.

"I love you." She blinked, slightly shocked. "I know that you're all… opposed to the word, but I do love you." He shifted slightly and looked downward when he saw that her expression had not changed at all. "You don't have to do anything, it's fine really. I understand if you-" She quickly pressed a finger to his mouth.

"Sirius, it's fine. I love you too." He kissed her for a moment.

"And I thought I was dizzy beforehand."

"Funny. Now, what's wrong with you?"

"Just a bruised rib or two, nothing too bad."

"You're sure? I could get-"

"Morgana, honestly, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. You worry too much as it is."

"You're so pale, you lost so much blood."

"Pale is beautiful," he said in a matter-of-factly tone. **A/N: Power to the pale!**

"Well, you shouldn't be _that_ pale, all the blood is drained from your body. Once the trolley comes around, we'll get you something to eat." He ignored her.

"I got your shirt all bloody!" he said, looking a little down.

"Well, yours is bloody too. We'll have to change into our robes. The sooner the better. If you close your eyes, I'll change quickly and then you can change." He nodded, apparently too tired to come up with a remark. She took her robes from her bag and changed once Sirius had closed his eyes. A minute later, she turned back to him. "Alright, you can open 'em." He didn't move. "Sirius?" Nothing. "You seriously just fell asleep? Merlin… Alright, go to sleep for a few, I've got to go talk to the others anyway." She shook her head one final time and then opened the compartment door.

"How is he?" James said the moment she shut the door behind her.

"Fine. He's a bit off from all the blood loss, but not too bad. I managed to get most of him cleaned up, but he fell asleep again before he could change into his robes. I think he's got a few bruised ribs though."

"Rather ginger with them, I expect."

"Well, he could learn a bit more caution. Maybe he'll stay out of trouble for a day or two now." James snorted.

"Yeah. Right. Maybe if he's asleep the entire time."

"Where are Peter and Remus?"

"They walked with Lily over to Chris and Allie. I'm not taking any chances with Snape."

"That might be a good idea."

"I'll kill him."

"Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Don't do anything. At least not until we've figured something out with Sirius, okay? I don't want anymore trouble."

"Fine, but this isn't the end of it."

"I don't want it to be, something has to be done, but we have to plan it out first. I don't want any rash actions."

"I can't promise anything, but-" The compartment door slid open.

"I take a two second nap and you two are gossiping like old ladies." He was using the door handle to support himself almost completely, looking extremely weak, despite his tone. Morgana quickly went to his side and put an arm around his waist.

"Two seconds is right. I just got out here." He put his arm around her shoulder and pressed his lips to her temple.

"Padfoot, you better get out of those bloody clothes," James said simply. "Change into your robes."

"Novel idea, Mr. Prongs." James nodded and strode back towards their compartment to get Sirius' clothes. Morgana frowned after him in concern, speaking softly to Sirius

"I think he's a bit shaken up. He looked… right after he came and you were still… he looked terrible."

"He'll be fine."

"I know but… Merlin, I was scared."

"Worse than last year with Moony?"

"About the same, actually. You told me you would never scare me like that again."

"This time was a bit different, though. In the forest, you couldn't find me, I wasn't there. This time, you saw me, you were near me." She laughed bitterly, a sad expression on her face.

"Then there's a question: What's worse- you dying in my arms, or dying out of them?"

"For me, it's probably the latter, but I can't speak for you." She remained silent. "Morgana, death isn't anything to be afraid of. You won't have to worry about dying for years and years and years."

"I'm not afraid of my death, but I couldn't bear yours." He gave a sad smile. "I'll let you get changed. I should go see what's up with Lily and be back in a few minutes."

"I love you. And I won't stop saying it now that you let me," he whispered in her ear. "I love you."

"I think I can get used to it," she said quietly, smiling. "I have to go see Lily now, though."

"If you have to…" She grinned into his neck.

"You need to learn how to share."

"Oh, fine. If I must. Go on, the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll get back." She kissed his shoulder and then hurried down the corridor, looking into compartments to find Lily. A few minutes later, she saw the back of Remus' head as he leaned against the compartment door.

"Morgana! How is he?" Lily said, jumping up immediately. Morgana quickly scanned over the faces in the compartment- Chris, Allie, Remus, Peter, Mary, Laurel, and Catherine Bahr.

"He's fine," Morgana said simply, giving Lily an 'I'll tell you later' look. "Hey, Catherine! Long time, no see." The tall girl gave a half-hearted smile before leaning over to whisper something in Laurel's ear. Morgana's expression turned stony, before she said, in a falsely cheery voice, "Should we go, Lils?"

"Probably. See you later, guys."

"Bye." Peter and Remus followed Lily and Morgana down the hall.

"Is he really okay?" Lily asked.

"He's lost a lot of blood and he's rather weak, but I think if he rests and eats something he'll be fine. There's not much else we can do. He'll be perfectly fine in the next day or two."

"Is there… is he all cleaned up, now?" Peter asked timidly.

"For the most part. He's probably out of his bloody clothes by now."

"Why did Se- Snape even go into the compartment?" Lily asked. Morgana quickly glanced back at Remus who jerked his head in the tiniest nod.

"He was looking for you."

"Me? Why me?"

"He's obviously in some sick fantasy that 'no' means 'yes,' and that you're crazy about him, but choosing to play hard-to-get."

"But-"

"The two of them argued, Snape pulled a wand, disarmed Sirius, I came into the fight, crap happened- _viola_." Lily remained silent. "It's not your fault."

"Whatever…" she muttered. Morgana frowned- she'd have to convince her later.

"James and Sirius… they aren't going to do anything rash, are they?" Remus asked.

"I don't know. I told James not to, but since when has that ever stopped them." They continued the rest of the way in silence, nodding or smiling to a few people that they knew. When they finally came to the compartment, Morgana knocked.

"Why do you always knock?" James voice said. A moment later, the door slid open and he ushered them in. Sirius was sitting on the far end of the seat, his school robes on. Morgana took the seat next to him; Lily sat beside her and James beside Lily. Remus popped open a book and began having a normal conversation with Peter while Lily and James talked about their duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. Morgana let her head fall back and lean against the wall as she closed her eyes and pressed up against Sirius' side. He leaned over and kissed her throat.

"Your lips are like ice!" she said quietly, sitting back up.

"They are?" he asked, pressing his fingertips to his mouth. She took his hand in both of hers.

"Your hands are freezing too." The compartment door opened.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" Morgana quickly plopped her moneybag into Lily's lap without taking her eyes off of Sirius.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I lost a decent bit of blood, Morgana. It's normal for me to feel cooler than usual." She nodded slightly.

"I suppose. I'm still a little worried, though."

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be Morgana." She quickly kissed his throat. "See, to me, it feels like you're burning up."

"It's supposed to be rather cool tonight. I don't want you freezing to death. You never sleep under the covers unless I force you to."

"You can't make me, you know," he teased. She feigned shock.

"So mean, you are! I _will_ force you to sleep under the blankets tonight! Even if it's the last thing I do!" He gave a bark-like laugh and kissed the base of her neck, making her shiver.

"Freezing. Merlin, you're like you just came in from a snowstorm."

"I'm not that cold!"

"Pretty close!"

"Oh, you're just exaggerating, now."

**OxO**

Morgana tiptoed up to the boys' dormitories, the only noise was the soft padding of her bare feet on the cool marble. She picked at the cuff of her sweatshirt before cautiously opening the door, careful not to open it enough to make it creak. She shut it and walked over to the second bed, the hangings drawn.

"Sirius?" she breathed, not entirely sure that she had even made a noise. She pulled back the hangings to let the moonlight fall upon his face. "Sirius?" He blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyes- sure enough, he was sleeping on the quilt, wearing a t-shirt and sleep shorts.

"I thought you gave up on the notion of making me sleep under the covers," he whispered, grinning. "I'll cooperate as long as you're here, but who's to say I won't crawl out during the night?" She furrowed her brow before throwing back the covers, gesturing for him to get under them, he did, not taking his eyes from her face. "Is that your idiot-proof plan?" She rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Morgana slid under the blankets as well, drawing the hangings back once more. "You said you'd cooperate as long as I'm here, so- your fingers are still cold!" she added, recoiling slightly as he touched her arm.

"So are your toes."

"My feet are always cold. It's freezing out, hasn't been this cold on September first for how long, and you decide to lose loads of blood, dress in a t-shirt, and sleep on your quilt. Smart."

"I know I am." He blew on his hands before he wrapped his arms around her. "You're like a mini-heater." She kissed his collarbone.

"Go to sleep." He grinned and rested his chin on the top of her head, humming softly. She fell asleep, listening to his steady heartbeat and lullaby.

* * *

**A/N:** So, that was the "not-nearly-as-fabulous-as-Chapter-14" Chapter 15. I figured that the seventh year should be split similar to the first year with the first day being one part and the rest of the year being another. So, it was rather short and we only looked at two or three actual days. Chapter 16 coming up! It'll be longer. Hooplah!

Lots of Love,

Dot


	16. Control

**A/N:** Chapter 15 just posted. I actually kinda liked that one. Yay!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I did, money for tuition would not be a problem.

**Warning:** Slight swearing is likely. You have been warned.

__

**Chapter 16- Control**

* * *

Morgana and Sirius were sprawled out, side by side on the floor in the Common Room, a grey pair of eyes on Sirius' watch. Morgana was watching his profile, picking absentmindedly at the carpeting.

"This is silly," she said.

"Only thirty-three more seconds…"

"I doubt that thirty-three seconds makes a difference. Realize that the watch might be off."

"I don't care. We're going according to the watch." His eyes didn't even leave the watch face for one moment to flick over to Morgana's face. She continued to watch him watch the watch. "Five… four… three… two… one… Happy Anniversary." He turned his head towards hers so that their noses were barely touching.

"I think you're the only guy in existence that would stay up and count down the moments until he was dating a girl for one year. We were fighting for three months, don't forget."

"We've been fighting for twelve months, you just didn't speak to me for three of them. As long as you had that ribbon on, you and I were still together. It's been on for three hundred and sixty-four days." She rolled her eyes.

"Can I wish you a happy birthday _now_?"

"Oh, fine."

"Happy birthday." He sighed, smiling slightly.

"Once again, we're different ages."

"Numbers are nothing."

"To you? I thought they were everything."

"Not quite." He traced a long finger along the side of her face, gazing at her thoughtfully.

"You should probably go to bed. You wake up early."

"I don't want to leave. Besides, I'm not that tired." He grinned.

"I'd offer you a bed for the night, but…"

"I can sleep by myself for one little night, Sir. I've been doing it for years." She swiftly got up and straightened into a standing position. "I'll go now, if you're so keen on my leaving…" She said, grinning. He jumped up in the blink of an eye.

"Never, but you need to sleep. Knowing you, the next week'll be studying until two in the morning, even though you've got your homework done. 'Night..." She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Goodnight. Happy birthday."

"I love you." She paused before reaching up to hug his neck tightly.

"I know." She disappeared upstairs in an instant. He sighed.

"I know, but do you know I know you know?" he flopped down onto the couch, muttering to himself. "I say it to you constantly. You only say it once." Sirius put his hands behind his head. "Maybe I should just stop saying it."

'_But I don't want to.'_ It was true. He loved saying it because it felt _right_.

"I must be the sappiest guy in the world. I make me vomit." He shook his head and bounded up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, tiptoeing in when he realized that everyone else was in bed. "Anyone awake?" he asked. Nothing. "Well, fine then, be that way." He quickly changed into his sleep clothes before jumping onto the bed and drawing the hangings.

**OxO**

Morgana awoke after a night of troubled sleep. She glanced at the clock.

"Up ten minutes later than usual," she muttered, sitting up as she ruffled her hair. Funny, it felt like she was up ten _hours_ _earlier_. "Good thing he sent me to bed…" She pulled back the curtains on her bed and promptly got ready for the day, paying careful attention to the darker circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. "Anyone else up?" Nope. She shrugged and went down to the Great Hall.

"You're late," Sirius said as she sat down, his head buried in the _Daily Prophet_. She could tell he was a bit angry.

"By a few minutes. Why are you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep." She _knew_ something was wrong.

"Same here. Was it something I said?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply, folding the newspaper. Morgana immediately burst out laughing at the sight of his face.

"Sirius, you've got… you've got a little something… just right there-" He brushed at his face before turning back to his plate.

"It has nothing to do with what you said. It has everything to do with what you- would you stop laughing?!" By now there were tears streaming down her reddened face.

"You… you have a _goatee_!" she whimpered, holding her hand over her mouth.

"What?"

"You have a goatee… and a moustache… and a uni-brow… and… and… eyeliner!" Her laughter was now gasping.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on," she grabbed his hand and led him out of the Great Hall and into the corridor, most people laughing or giving bewildered stares as he passed.

"What's going on?"

"75 percent of the Marauders pranked the other 25 percent. Oh, hang on, we'll need to save this one- _Accio camera!_" A few moments later, Morgana's camera whizzed into her hand. She swiftly turned it to Sirius' face and clicked it before coming to stand next to him and turning it on the both of them.

"What?"

"Hang on, let's get you to the bathroom." He followed her down the hall and through to the boys' lavatories.

"Won't you get in trouble?"

"Far less than if the teachers found out you were in the girls'." He nodded and gave the password, striding forward to look in the mirror.

"My face!" he yelped. His normally handsome, chiseled face was covered in muggle marker, creating- as Morgana had said- a goatee, moustache, uni-brow, and a black line on his bottom eyelid- eyeliner.

"Oh, look, they left a message! I thought it was gibberish! They just put it backwards so you could read it in the mirror! Hold still while I read your forehead." Sirius read the skinny scrawl in silent shock:

_Happy birthday, Padfoot! We figured that your day should start off with a bang. Wonder how the Fan Club'll take this. Bless permanent marker!_

_Love, _

_Your Angels_

"Permanent?!" he said loudly, his eyes wide with shock. "No! Morgana, I can't have this on my face forever!" She laughed and walked behind him to rest her chin on his shoulder as he rubbed the skin on his cheeks and forehead.

"Not really permanent. It's only permanent on clothes and other stuff, not humans," she assured him, kissing his cheek. "You don't look that bad, honestly. I like you better clean-shaven, though." He gave her a skeptical look, she giggled. "Sirius, you'll always be gorgeous, no matter what your friends write on your face." He turned to face her.

"That's the first time you've ever mentioned my appearance, I think." She shrugged.

"Everybody knows you're extremely good-looking, Sir. But there's so much more to you than that." He remained silent, gazing at her. "It's because I never say it back to you, isn't it? That's why you were mad." He faltered and tore his eyes away from hers, she gave one chuckle. "Silly arse. I don't say it back because I'm afraid to lose you…"

"I know I've been stupid before, but I won't hurt you again, Morgana," he said softly, guiding her chin to look at him. "I promise. I couldn't live with myself if I caused you any sort of pain."

"I love you. You have to know I do. You've been one of my best friends and I'm different when I'm around you and I always want to be by you. I'm madly in love with you…" she added simply, as if commenting on the weather. He gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I know." She said nothing. He grinned wickedly. "Drives you crazy doesn't it? Just hearing 'I know' after all that. Never fear, love, I love you."

"I know it. I love you, too." They continued to grin. "We'd better wash off your facial hair before someone else comes in here."

He turned to the mirror and muttered, "_Scourgify_." Then he turned back to her. "Better?"

"Much better."

"Now, we have to go thank my little _Angels_ for the wonderful start to the day." He quickly bent his forehead down to rest against hers before gently pulling her out to make their way down to the Great Hall.

"Hey, Pads, what happened to your moustache?" James asked, laughing as Sirius and Morgana walked over to him, the rest of their year seated at the table behind him.

"Very funny, Prongs. Not your usual standards, but it received quite a few laughs from Miss le Fay," Sirius said in a matter-of-fact tone. James grinned at Morgana.

"Anytime, fair lady. At least _someone_ got to see it before he so ungratefully washed it off!"

"I got pictures, don't worry. I'll even get extras," she chuckled. James looked at her astonished.

"This girl's got some _serious _brains! She's a keeper, Pads."

"I know she is."

"I believe she can officially be… a Bond girl, only Marauder-style. A Marauder girl… A Maraudette!" Sirius' eyes gleamed, happily.

"Just think, the first Maraudette is _my_ girlfriend. We've officially made history, you and I."

"I think we did long before now, Sirius," she assured him, going to sit at an empty spot across from Lily whom she quickly greeted. Sirius sat next to Morgana, James sitting back in his seat next to her as well.

"What's on the agenda for today, gang?" James asked. "We've got presents to open later tonight, some less than enjoyable classes today… I say we just skip and hang out in celebration of Padfoot's birthday."

"Potter!" Lily said threateningly. "We're Heads! We can't just skip classes whenever! It's one thing if you're sick, but-!"

"I'm willing to skip one class," Allie said, not looking up from her breakfast.

"That's fine, Allie, but the rest of-"

"I'll skip too."

"Chris!"

"Well, you know the Marauders'll have no problem!" Peter squeaked.

"So, it'll be Morgana and me in class today then, eh?" Lily looked expectantly at her friend.

"Lils, come on!" Lily rolled her eyes and signaled for Morgana to follow her. The two walked out of the Great Hall and into the nearest empty room.

"Morgana le Fay, you _have_ to go to class!"

"I don't have to do anything!"

"You're obligated to! You're being completely unreasonable!"

"No, I'm not! Lily, it's Sirius' birthday! I want nothing more than to go!"

"We've got N.E.W.T.s coming up! The homework load'll be enormous! Then you have the first Quidditch game in three days, which means that there'll be practice every night after tonight! You can't afford to miss a class!"

"It's one class! I've already got all of my possible assignments for Defense done for the next two weeks, Lily!"

"And I have to go to class and collect all the homework alone?!"

"You should skip too!"

"No!"

"Lily, I have to go. This is the last birthday Sirius'll have here at Hogwarts and you know how much he loves this place! He's so worried about what'll happen after graduation, this is probably going to be the last carefree birthday he'll have in a while." Lily faltered. "If I could, I'd take the whole day, the whole week off, but he wouldn't let me. Lily, it's Sirius. He's completely worth missing a class!"

"It's not Sirius. I don't have a problem with him, he's actually grown on me over the years, but… are we going to do this for every birthday?! This can't become a regular thing!"

"Chris and Allie are in the summer as is Peter, you and I don't have to do it if we don't want to, I'm sure Remus won't care either way, James'd be the only one who'd want it. And his birthday's on a weekend this year, so that'll work." Lily nodded.

"Fine. We'll all take off the last class for today, okay? Even me." Morgana hugged her.

"Thank you, Lils! I won't forget it!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll have enough fun to make up for it. Maybe it's not such a big deal." Morgana grinned.

"Maybe not to you…"

**OxO**

"Alright, mates, that's the last one," Sirius declared, throwing a ball of wrapping paper at Remus and sticking a bow on top of Morgana's head. Lily looked up at the clock.

"We'd better get going to duty," she directed at James. He stopped laughing with Peter and glanced up.

"I guess so. You guys get to clean up, we'll probably be back after everyone goes to bed."

"Right-o, see you later." The two of them left a moment later.

"The four of us can clean up," Remus said, indicating to himself, Peter, Chris, and Allie. Seconds later, they all had their wands out and were vanishing piles of wrapping paper, making plates from their cake disappear, cleaning crumbs- within minutes, the room was clean once more.

"I should go work on my essay. Happy Birthday, Sirius."

"Thanks, Chris. The gift rocked." She waved him off and exited the room, calling a good-night back to the rest of them. A few minutes later, Peter excused himself. Next, Allie and Remus decided to take their conversation to the Common Room, wishing everyone a good-night.

"And then there were two…" Morgana said once the door shut for the last time.

"What a pair." She curled up beside him, his arms wrapped around her gently.

"Did you have a good birthday?"

"Very."

"Get everything you wanted?"

"I got everything I would ever want or need last year." She moved her head back to gently touch his face for a moment.

"I don't think anything could top your birthday last year, this one was really good though, I thought."

"It was excellent. Thank you for taking off a class."

"It was nothing."

"You didn't need to though."

"I wanted to. How could I not? I know you'd…"

"I would totally and completely go to class for an entire day for you." She grinned, appreciating that he knew her well enough to finish her thoughts. "I got you something."

"It's not _my_ birthday."

"No, but it's our one year anniversary, and with your gift…"

"It wasn't expensive, I swear!"

"Sure, that's what they all say. I got you this, regardless." She felt him remove his arm and she flipped on the bed to face him.

"Ridiculous."

"I know I am," he handed her a box wrapped in gold paper. She sat up and tore into it, smiling while he lounged on his side.

"A crystal vase… thank you…" she was slightly bewildered.

"It's to put this in…" he held out a perfect red rose. She gently took it, her features softening. "It's preserved, it won't wilt. Like a fake flower, only much better. It'll look lovely." She kissed him and moved closer to him, leaning over to put her presents on the nightstand before lying back down beside him.

"You and your preservatives! First the ribbon, now this…"

"Well, expect a regular old book for your birthday. I'm running a bit low." Her voice lowered dangerously.

"How low?"

"Five galleons."

"Five?!" She immediately sat up, giving him a stern glare. "And you bought _me_ something?!"

"Yes, I did."

"Take it back."

"No." She held out both the vase and the rose.

"Take them back. You need the money." He shook his head.

"No. Besides, it's rude of you to return it to me."

"Don't give me that crap, Sirius Orion Black. You take it back. Now."

"No. It's my money, I can do with it what I please, and what I please is giving it to you. I won't take it back," he added, raising his eyebrows at her stubborn look. "Hey, I'm out of my parents' house. I'll end up getting a job or something once we're out of here. I can figure things out until then."

"Sirius…"

"I'll worry about it. It's my problem, not yours." She shook her head.

"If every problem of mine is yours, then yours are mine. It's only fair." He smiled.

"Love, I'm fine. I promise. If I need help, I'll ask for it, okay? It's my birthday, humor me," he added. She sighed and curled up beside him once more.

"Fine. But-"

"No buts. Just… relax." He snaked his arm around her waist and they were quiet for a long while.

"It's really rather…" He quietly hushed her. "I think…" She felt him bury his face in the back of her neck, gently brushing his face in her hair. "It's really hard to form a coherent thought when you do that, you know!"

"Excellent." She could tell he was smiling.

"Not excellent. You don't play by the rules."

"Rules are meant to be broken, if anyone believes that, it's me." She sighed.

"I admit defeat. I'm waving the white flag. I won't reprimand you tonight." She felt him chuckle into her shoulder.

"My little soldier gave up?"

"Realize that all I do is appeasement."

"Sure it is."

"It's so cute how you think that you're in control of it all…" she trailed off, enjoying how everything else was so motionless and quiet.

"Morgana?" Sirius said after a while. "Why aren't you breathing?" She realized that the only slight rhythmic movement she felt was _his _breathing.

"I forgot," she said simply. "It was all so still and… I guess I became part of it." He chuckled.

"Weirdo, but a poetic one at that." She didn't reply. "Are you asleep, or just not breathing anymore?"

"Neither. I don't have to reply to everything, you know."

"Hmm… If I can't hear your reactions, I want to see them. Flip around." She turned over and found her nose only an inch from his.

"Better?"

"Exceedingly so." She brought her hand up to brush a piece of shaggy black hair from his eyes. She grinned and dropped her hand to rest on his chest. "Perfectly so…" He closed his eyes while Morgana pressed her forehead to his.

"Now who's forgetting to breathe?" she asked, smiling. He inhaled and exhaled deeply without opening his eyes.

"You think I'm the only one that doesn't play by the rules?"

"Well, I know I don't…"

"That's because you're a Maraudette…"

"And very proud of it…"

**OxO**

"Morgana?" She turned as Sirius called her name. He grinned when he saw her, her hair pulled back into a half ponytail and her cheeks slightly redder with anxiety. It was a minute before the first Quidditch match of the season and Sirius had been sent to find her after she retreated to the girls' just after the pep talk. "Ready?" She gave a half-hearted smile and nodded, hurrying to his side. "You'll be fine, you'll win us the game as usual." She looked a little less worried, but he saw that she still was biting on her cheek.

"What if I'm out of practice?"

"We've been practicing for weeks, you'll be fine."

"I know, but… James has a lot riding on this season, we all do. It's the last one and I want it to start off with a win."

"It will. Now, stop worrying or we'll be late and have to forfeit." She smiled and led him out to where the team was waiting.

"All set, Morgana?" James asked when they arrived.

"Completely. Let's do this thing." James flashed a crooked smile and whipped back around to face the entrance of the pitch. Sirius quickly slipped his hand into hers and gave it a quick squeeze as she walked towards the front of the group. Before she could turn around, he had taken his spot near the back. She took hers next to James and waited for a moment, listening to the commentators announce the Gryffindor team. A moment later, there was a flood of sunlight and the players stepped onto the pitch, blinded momentarily.

"Captains! Shake hands!" Morgana heard the referee bark. She flicked her eyes over the stands and caught a glimpse of Lily, intent on the team, but she was not staring at Morgana, instead she was focused on a spot ahead and to the left of Morgana. She tried to follow her line of sight, but had to kick off a moment later. She shot upwards like a bullet, and immediately forgot the anxiety of winning the match. She was free, soaring high above the ground… A moment later, she was hit with reality as players flew around her, tossing the Quaffle amongst them. She lifted up another thirty feet to scan the pitch, moving at the same speed with the other seeker directly across from her. She heard goals for both sides, a few more for Gryffindor than for Hufflepuff. After over a half hour, she saw the other seeker drop down and she followed, doubling her pace to catch up. She saw the Snitch glinting yards ahead of him. A moment later, she was neck and neck with him and pulled into a vertical rise. It was a few feet now, four at the most. Both were flying at top speed. The Hufflepuff took one hand off of his broom and pulled at Morgana's, only to make her switch to his right side as she shifted her weight. It was just enough- in a fraction of a millisecond, Morgana had the Snitch in her hand. At the same time, there was a deafening crack. She let out a surprised shriek as the Bludger hit her and began to fall as she let go of her broom.

"Morgana, no!" Sirius shot out and grabbed her falling figure. Simultaneously, he felt the Hufflepuff chaser knock into him. He and Morgana's motionless body flipped on the broom, veering off to the right. He heard another sickening crack and dropped a few more feet, zooming towards the ground as he cradled Morgana in his arms. He touched down and dropped his broom. "Morgana?" He shifted her and fixed his eyes on her right leg- it was hanging oddly, bloodying her pants leg.

"Black! Black!" He felt the ref land next to him, but he didn't hear a word he said. After asking him something, he began to pull Morgana from Sirius' arms.

"No."

"Give her to me."

"I said no."

"Black!"

"I'm not letting her go," his voice was monotone as he stared at her face.

"Black! Hospital Wing! Now, hurry!" He tore his eyes away to see McGonagall running towards him and he began to quickly walk to the castle, afraid to jostle her too much by running. A few long minutes later, he strode into the wing.

"Madam Pomfrey?! Madam Pomfrey, come quick!" In a flash, the Healer ran from her quarters and into the main room.

"What… oh no…" He gently set Morgana down on the bed farthest from the door. "What happened?"

"She was flying with the other seeker to the Snitch. I hit the Bludger… I aimed for him, but he switched with her… It hit her in the head…"

"I can see that…" she gingerly felt around Morgana's head with her fingertips. "Her skull's cracked in several places… Did she hurt anything else?"

"When I caught her, I think she might have hit my broom a bit. It'd be her stomach…" She started prodding around Morgana's abdomen, carefully lifting her shirt to check.

"Broken rib… she'll have a pretty good bruise… What about her leg?"

"Chaser collided with me after I caught her. Her leg got caught between our brooms…"

"Poor baby… This has happened too many times, Black…" McGonagall and Dumbledore entered the room.

"How is she?" the Transfiguration teacher asked.

"Not good- cracked skull, broken rib, broken leg… that's just an initial check. Have to check for internal bleeding yet."

"The poor girl…"

"Black, sit down." Sirius remained at Morgana's side, holding her left hand in both of his. The Healer looked annoyed. "Black! Sit down!"

"Sirius." His eyes flicked over to the Headmaster. "Kindly sit down so that Madam Pomfrey may help Miss le Fay." He reluctantly let go of her hand and walked to the other end of the ward, sitting shakily down in a chair, burying his face in his hands while the three adults crowded around Morgana.

"What did I do…" He could hear the three conversing in hushed voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He couldn't look. He was too ashamed. Why did he make a hit like that? Why when it was so close to her? It was idiotic! He heard running footsteps in the hall and a second later, a group and burst in, Lily and James leading the team, Remus, Chris, Allie, and Peter.

"Where is she?!" Lily asked, her voice high-pitched.

"Alright, everybody out!" McGonagall barked.

"But professor-"

"Out! Gracious, you're not helping the situation!"

"How is she?!"

"Not well. Kindly take your friends and leave, Mr. Potter. Mr. Black, I'd like you to stay here." He hadn't moved.

**OxO**

Morgana's eyes fluttered open. It was very late, that was the one thing she knew. She could see the moon high in the sky from her window. A few candles and lamps lit the Hospital Wing, casting eerie shadows on the walls. She made to turn her head, but was hit with a wave of pain shooting through her skull, she gasped.

"Morgana?" someone grumbled from her bedside. She squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"Sir? What happened? I feel like I got hit by the Knight Bus…" He was quiet. "What?"

"I'm so sorry, love… I'm so, so sorry… I hit the Bludger at him, not you…"

"Did we win?"

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"Madam Pomfrey isn't letting you play for the remainder of the year…"

"What?!" She tried to sit up, but fell back, groaning in pain.

"I'll explain later, you need to calm down."

"I won't! Why can't I play?!" she rubbed her forehead gingerly.

"She says that you had too many injuries and she doesn't want any more."

"That's rubbish! Everyone gets hurt!"

"She said that you get injured too much and you're the most fragile seeker."

"Fragile?!"

"She said it, not me!"

"No! She can't… I need to play, Sirius!"

"I know, but-"

"I have to play, it's the last year! We've practiced so hard! How can they train a new seeker so quickly?! It's impossible! It's impossible to have a good seeker this late!"

"Morgana… Baby, I know… okay? I know, baby…" She felt hot tears form in her eyes and reached toward Sirius for his hand, but he didn't give it to her. She couldn't turn her head to look at him.

"Sirius…"

"I'm so sorry, love… I'm so sorry I did this to you…"

"Never mind it… give me your hand." He gently placed his in hers. She clutched it tightly.

"Morgana, I didn't mean to… I love you… I was aiming for him, not you…"

"I know, I know… Forget it, I'll worry about it later," she said dully. "What's the damage?"

"Cracked skull, broken leg, two broken ribs, a bit of bleeding (but that wasn't too bad)." Well, that explained a bit… She slowly turned her head to look at him, wincing as the pain shot through once more. "Don't move…"

"It's rather boring staring at the ceiling. You're much more fun to stare at." He remained where he was.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

"It's not like I'm paralyzed." He said nothing. "Do you want to start making it up to me? Come over here… I'm freezing." He hesitated, but came over to lie next to her, Morgana's face turned to him. "I don't mind not playing, it'll be okay. I can still cheer you on and stuff, and-"

"Morgana, it's not that! I could have killed you!"

"But you didn't. Remus could have killed me a thousand times, Alyssa's brother could have, I've been hit with Bludgers before… Sirius, I'm still here, don't worry."

"I almost did it…"

"No. You didn't."

"How do you figure?!"

"How many times have you saved my neck? I think we can just blow this one off."

"No, we can't!"

"I've put you in a tough spot a few times, you've done how much for me, a-"

"Morgana, this isn't something about keeping score! Your life is not a game I can lose! I almost killed you! I could have saved you every moment of your life and it still wouldn't be _okay_!"

"Sirius… you want to know how else you can make it up to me? Drop it."

"That's the one thing I can't do."

"Then, please… for a few moments just… shut up. I love you and all, but… this whole killing me thing is really annoying after the first hundred apologies." He rubbed his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry. Damn, I did it again, sorry. _Damn_ it!" She giggled softly, her head giving her a warning throb.

"Tell you what: you don't have to drop it forever. You can bring it up again… three seconds before the end of time." He turned his head to face her and sighed.

"Fine. Three seconds before the end of time. I'll remember it. It'll be, '_Wow, that's really amazing. We're witnessing the most important event in the universe! I love you. By the way, I almost killed you back in seventh year during the first Quidditch match. Sorry._' Then it all goes ka-put." She smiled. "Go to sleep."

"How long have I been out?"

"The game was yesterday."

"As in few-hours-ago-since-it's-two-in-the-morning yesterday or as in twenty-four-hours-plus-a-few-more-hours yesterday?"

"The latter."

"Dammit."

"You missed a killer weekend," he said, jokingly.

"Sure."

"Really. I sat here most of the time. Excepting shower-time, changing my underwear, and potty breaks."

"Well, I'm glad that you did that, at least."

"But technically, you didn't completely miss it. It's like… if you were completely and totally drunk through a really amazing prank. You were there, but you missed it." She gave a thumbs-up, groggy. "Now, go to sleep."

"Fine. You stay here."

"Of course."

"You move, I eat your hand while you watch," she yawned, and took his hands in hers and brought them between their faces.

"Deal," he chuckled.

"Okay." They were like that for a long while, Morgana drifting in and out of sleep. She felt him shift his weight and put his knuckle between her teeth without opening her eyes.

"Crazy little cannibal." She gave a small grin. "Go to sleep!"

"Third time's the charm…"

**OxO**

"She said that you were perfectly fine."

"Well, I don't see why I had to come in again. She already got my Quidditch, why take my free time?"

"I wouldn't have let you skip it anyway."

"True, but still… She did a completely unnecessary exam. I'm clearly fine!"

"I don't care. If something was still wrong and hadn't been caught…"

"It's Madam Pomfrey, she examines you with a fine-tooth comb!"

"That's part of her charm. Better she's like that than lets things slip through." Morgana rolled her eyes at Sirius.

"Ridiculous. I've got too much to do rather than sit in a crowded ward for how long!"

"Bear with me here." She sighed.

"Whatever. I just wish that we could go and have-"

"There you are!" Morgana and Sirius turned to their right to see James sprinting up the staircase next to them. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"We got stuck in the Hospital Wing," Morgana said, still looking slightly annoyed. "What's up?" He gestured for them to follow and began leading them to Gryffindor Tower. He brought them to the boys' dorms and locked the door behind Sirius.

"What're you up to, Prongs?" The pair sat down on Sirius' bed while James paced back and forth in front of them.

"What does Evans think of me?" he directed towards Morgana. She shrugged.

"You've definitely grown on her. She likes you, but I don't know much more than that. Why?"

"What does she say about me?"

"You're a decent guy, much less arrogant than last year… she's a bit unsure of how to take you sometimes, but she considers you as a friend." His head shot up and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously."

"You know that Hogsmeade weekend coming up?" he asked, still talking more to Morgana than Sirius.

"Yeah… No!" she exclaimed, an excited grin and a look of dawning comprehension on her face. Sirius let out a whooping shout next to her. James grinned.

"Do you think she'll say yes?"

"Decent chance, I'd say."

"I'm asking her tonight when we're on duty. We talk more then rather than when we're off patrol." Morgana was still beaming, her hands clasped together and pressed to her lips.

"You should go to patrol early!" He nodded furiously.

"I haven't asked her in so long…"

"That'll only further convince her to accept!"

"What if I g-"

"James? Sirius? Anyone in there?" someone called from the other side of the door.

"Remus?" Morgana asked.

"Can we come in? We're kind of locked out…" James mouthed '_Not a word'_ to them and opened the door.

"Hey guys!" James began to animatedly talk to the pair of them- a little too animatedly.

"He's too nervous and patrol isn't for hours yet!" Sirius muttered to Morgana.

"I know, but he'll do fine."

"Do you really think…?"

"Maybe, it's hard to say sometimes. I think that he's got pretty decent odds though."

"I hope so. He keeps harping on about her. Morgana, he's crazy for her."

"I know he is. If I thought it would do any good, I'd go talk to her about him."

"I know. Maybe we could coach him through it."

"We could try."

**OxO**

"Alright, once more. James, ask Morgana out."

"Hey, _Lily_."

"Evening, Potter."

"Morgana's going with Sirius for the Hogsmeade weekend. What are you, Chris, and Allie going to do?"

"The usual- walk through all the shops, get a drink at the Three Broomsticks."

"I thought, you know, maybe we could do something together. Visit a few shops."

"I think you could pick out a nice present for Morgana's birthday," Morgana said, casually waving her hand. "I'm sure that she's helped you with enough stuff over the years."

"Could you help me pick something out? I don't really know what to get her this year." Sirius clapped.

"We've gone over a fair few scenarios, James has successfully completed most of them- excepting when someone got a bit too snippy-_Morgana!_- but for the most part, I'd bet on 'yes,' mate."

"Seriously, Morgana. If she accepts… I'll… I'll… proclaim your superiority to the entire school and get you a really great gift! Promise." Morgana laughed.

"It's almost time to put your money where your mouth is. Come on, let's get you ready. Tie your tie, brush your teeth, wash your face, clean your ears, all that good stuff." A few minutes later, James turned away from the mirror, looking presentable.

"We should try to do something with his hair…" Sirius said, thoughtfully.

"Maybe… I suppose we could try something. Your turn." Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not a girl, I don't do hair products!"

"Pads, didn't you used to have a few bottles of gunk to impress your now-girlfriend." Morgana gave an amused smile.

"When was this?"

"Third through fourth year, I'd reckon. He was a little scary at times." Sirius was bright red.

"Well, now I'm going to do your hair and shear it all off!" Morgana shot him a warning glance.

"We'll talk about it in a minute. In the meantime…" She circled James. "I think his hair suits him. It's _kind of_ cute. I think it'll work for now. Plus, you don't have time. You'd better get going." He glanced at his watch and gave a sheepish smile.

"See you in a bit then."

"We'll be up. I'll leave after you come in, see what Lily's up to. Good luck, James."

"Thanks… bye…" He disappeared, shutting the door behind him. Morgana turned, looking slightly skeptical.

"Hair care products?"

"Perhaps."

"How many?"

"At one point, eight bottles. I'm not saying anymore."

"Why?"

"I thought you'd find me a bit more… worth your time if I had nice hair." She laughed.

"That's got to be some of the weirdest logic I've heard. I wasn't mad at your hair, I was mad at you."

"I know. But maybe if you would have thought, 'Man, he's got some nice hair on that arrogant head. Poor silky locks. Maybe I should date him out of pity for the hair.'" She rolled her eyes, grinning widely.

"Git. I already thought you were good-looking and I was still mad at you. I'm sorry, but I didn't notice that much of a difference in your hair."

"But you still noticed a difference?" he said hopefully.

"A bit, I suppose, looking back at it…" she said, lying. He let out a whooping yell and fell back on the bed, smiling.

"The pure satisfaction of it all, years later! Mission accomplished!" he laughed. A moment later, he turned his head to her, smiling. "And I still have a huge crush on you."

"I don't understand it, but whatever. At any rate, I would hope you have some sort of a crush on me. We're dating after all."

"What's there to understand?"

"What you see in me."

"That's something I should be saying. You're kind, brilliant, brave, loyal… rather hot too." She rolled her eyes once more. "And when we play Quidditch, I tend to get to play the knight that rescues a damsel in distress. Even if I get you into the situations at times."

"Well, the knight that rescues the lady is brave, clever, loyal, energetic, and very easy on the eyes."

"And the lady helps his ego loads, as well."

"Oh, I'm sure of it." He gave a barking laugh and pulled her down on the bed next to him.

"So, how was your day?"

"You spent all of it next to me," she told him gently. "It was very good."

"As was mine."

"Wonderful."

"Isn't it?" She gave a contented sigh in response. "Are you going to miss playing Quidditch?"

"Yes."

"Well, at least you're truthful about it…"

"But, I'll cheer you on from the stands. I'll go to practices too, if you like."

"James might want you there, Marlene has to get a few of your moves down. She's a great player, but not built like you are. We'll have to make a few adjustments."

"Madam Pomfrey won't let me so much as jump on the pitch, how could he handle my feet being that far from the ground?!"

"I asked her about it today. She said that it would be alright as long as the Bludgers were put away and the only activity on the pitch was for Seekers."

"Really?"

"Really." She smiled brightly. "Of course, I did a bit of convincing and she was rather reluctant, so I'll probably have to be within arm's reach of you."

"I think I can handle that. It's rather similar to my day already."

"You know what they say- if I can't feel your heartbeat, I'm not close enough."

"Can you feel it now?" she asked genuinely.

"No." She pressed herself closer to him.

"Now?"

"Clear as day. How's your rose?"

"Beautiful. It's sitting on my nightstand right now."

"Describe your part of the dorm," he requested, closing his eyes.

"Standard wooden nightstand, couple of drawers. It's got the rose in its vase, of course. Then there's a picture of us, another picture of Tar and Steve and my parents… the book I'm currently reading (_Pride and Prejudice_). I've got a picture of John, Paul, George, and Ringo on the wall behind it, along with my calendar of them. Oh, and my alarm clock of course. Then all of the girls have a dresser with a chair and a mirror. I've got pictures in the mirror frame and I've got random things and make-up on there… what else… That's about it. My bed's the same as everyone else's… That's my place."

"So, you have pictures of me posted all over the place?"

"Pretty much." He grinned wickedly.

"Life is sweet." She gently kissed his cheek and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. "Life is very sweet."

"Sirius? Morgana? Guys, come on, I have some news." James voice sounded somber, quiet. Morgana opened her eyes.

"Oi… when'd you get here?"

"Just now."

"But patrol… You'll be late!"

"It's finished. Guys, it's one in the morning." Morgana blearily looked at the clock- 1:17.

"Well, that's interesting. You're out late. Sirius… Sirius, wake up," Morgana gently flicked his head with her forefinger.

"Whaaaat?" he asked, sounding rather annoyed.

"James is back." He shot up immediately.

"Well? Oh Merlin…" his face fell as the sight of James' face.

"We went to patrol, about halfway through the second floor, I stopped her and asked her about going to Hogsmeade with me. At first, she was stammering and trying to be really nice. Then she started yelling at me- who was I to act like a complete arse to her friends, be completely arrogant, be nice, and then ask her out?"

"Women," Sirius sighed exasperatedly. Morgana gave him a death glare.

"What then?"

"She stomped off and finished her part of patrol, I guess. I didn't see her after that. So, I took a walk around and came back here." Morgana and Sirius exchanged brokenhearted looks.

"James, I'm so sorry. We should have waited and I could have talked to her. I'm so sorr-"

"Save it, Morgana. It doesn't matter!" he spat bitterly, walking over to his bed, throwing off his badge. "It's just not meant to be." He disappeared behind his hangings and was completely quiet. Sirius looked at Morgana, his face full of disappointment; but, Morgana's was full of anger, determination.

"Maybe he doesn't think it is, but I know better!" she crashed her mouth into Sirius'. "If we can be this happy, I think that the two of them should be too!" She jumped up and stormed out of the room, down the stairs, past a sleeping Remus and Peter on the couch. She burst into the girls' dormitories, fuming.

"Lily Evans! Where the hell are you?!" The redhead turned away from her dresser to look at her friend.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"Why did you turn him down?"

"What? How did you-?"

"Why?"

"I don't want to be hurt, Morgana."

"Newsflash- _he_ is right now."

"Morgana, please, don't-"

"Lily, what's going on?" She nervously looked around; Chris and Allie were both asleep.

"Fine. Yours." Morgana turned and sat down on her bed, Lily following. She quickly closed the hangings and cast a charm on them.

"What's going on?" she repeated. Lily sighed and looked extremely tired.

"He's got no right… He's… He was so great in the beginning of school, back when we were first years… He was one of my best friends. Nothing else happened, but he was… needed. I needed him in my life. We kind of fell apart, like you and Sirius did. We were schoolmates and not much else. Then he started all of his crap about me going out with him and I hated him. Morgana, you know I hated him! He just… then this year and part of last year…. He stopped asking me last year and I wanted him to ask me this year and when he did… I was too scared."

"So… you do want to go out with him."

"But I don't want him to hurt me again…" she whispered. "When we weren't friends anymore… it was like I lost a part of me and I got over him and… now he's back."

"Lily, I was the same with Sirius. He was so angry with me… but just look at us now! Take the chance. You deserve to be happy, and I think he'd rather die than hurt you. He loves you." She looked up at Morgana, her eyes shining with tears. "Do you want me to walk with you to their dorm?" Lily nodded and they walked over to the boys' dormitories.

"Sirius?" Morgana asked, knocking. A few seconds later, he opened the door and came out of the dorm upon seeing Lily.

"What do you want?!" he spat, glaring at Lily after closing the door.

"I came to apologize to him."

"He's devastated! He had been planning this for ages and just told us tonight! Do you know how nervous he was?! How-"

"Sirius-"

"No, Morgana! He's just sitting there on the bed, staring into space."

"Sirius, I just want to talk to him and tell him that I'm sorry. I want to fix this."

"You've done enough!"

"Sirius… let her through. Please… for James… for me…" He looked her in the eyes, and thought for a long moment.

"Morgana…"

"Remember how happy _we_ are?" His expression softened.

"Alright, go in, but don't do anymore damage," he told Lily, but was still looking at Morgana. Lily hurried in, as if he might change his mind. "Are you sure about this?"

"Lily's the only one that could ever make this right. Sirius, I think she loves him." He exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

"They have one thing in common then- they love each other."

"She doesn't want to be hurt by him."

"I hurt you."

"The Bludger-"

"We're not talking physically this time," he growled darkly, looking back down at her. She knew it wasn't her that he was mad at.

"But you made up for it. And I'm sure I hurt you, too. You broke my heart…" He winced and she took his hand in her smaller one. "But you fixed it too. Lily made a mistake tonight, and she wants to correct it. She should be given that chance. Imagine if someone had kept you away from me for the rest of our lives."

"I'd like to see someone try!" She twitched the corners of her mouth.

"Git. Let's sit down. This might be a while." Sirius sat down and pulled Morgana back onto his lap.

"I'm still exhausted."

"Same here."

"Sleep… Go to sleep…" She rested her head between his shoulder and neck, where her head fit perfectly and she could hear his steady heartbeat. As he typically did, he began to hum her a lullaby, stroking her hair and rocking her back and forth. Being with Sirius, you couldn't help but feel like a bit of a baby. A few minutes later, her exhaustion took over.

**OxO**

Morgana opened her eyes, squinting to adjust them to the dawn light. She was in Sirius' bed, cradled in his arms. The hangings were wide open as he slept, his head resting against the headboard of his bed. She glanced around, her eyes coming to rest on a pair sleeping on the floor. Lily and James were sound asleep next to the foot of his bed, James' arm around Lily's curled form. Well, _that_ burning question was settled. She put her head back on Sirius' shoulder and sighed softly. He gave a light grunt and blinked his eyes.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered.

"I don't mind."

"I'm sorry." He shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Morgana's waist before he smiled at her.

"I'd much rather you wake me up than have me sleep as long as I like. Besides, I was only partially asleep."

"I see they made up." Sirius pointed his gaze towards Lily and James.

"Yep. They didn't even tell me that I could come in. After you fell asleep, I fell asleep for a little while. Then I woke up and waited for Lily to come out, but she didn't. After a few hours, I took us both to bed."

"Still exhausted?"

"Of course. We'll go to bed early tonight." She smiled.

"I love how you make it 'we.'"

"Well it's true. I hardly ever sleep without you anymore."

"Just say the word and you can have the whole bed to yourself."

"And sleep without my teddy bear? No, thank you." She gave a slight smile and was quiet. "What are you thinking about?"

"You."

"Shocker."

"I know, right?" He kissed the top of her head.

"Do we have double Slughorn today?"

"Of course."

"I think James and Lily will want to be partners today. So that means I can be your partner without begging Lily to trade with me."

"Sounds good. Today, I guess, he's doing a review of some of the potions we've learned about over the years. Mainly from the earlier years. We're doing a review of the more recent ones in a while."

"I don't want to take my N.E.W.T.s."

"I don't think that anybody does. It'll be okay, though. You'll do fine." She paused. "What did you tell McGonagall you were going in for when you went for your Career Advice?" He grinned.

"I told her I wanted to own a joke shop, but she gave me that look- you know which look- and then she asked me if there was something else…"

"What did you tell her?"

"I wanted to work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Morgana frowned.

"I can't imagine you at a desk job…"

"Not a desk job- Merlin, no. Just… you know how they have those people that go to places where someone's being threatened or… It's a much easier version of an Auror. Like a muggle policeman. You never told me what you went in for." Morgana flinched. She never really wanted to discuss it because she had a feeling of how Sirius would react.

"I'm going in for Auror training." Sirius' eyes widened.

"You… I mean, you told me that you wanted to be an Auror when we were first years but… usually people change their minds. Morgana, do you know how dangerous that is?"

"I know, but aren't most jobs? Sir, the world we're living in now isn't that great. V-Voldemort is growing stronger every day. The Order of the Phoenix-"

"That's another thing! You're already more than willing to get yourself killed for the Order, and now you want to add some more risk by becoming a dark wizard catcher when said dark wizards are growing stronger with Voldemort?"

"Yes! Sirius, how can you just sit by and let all of this happen?! How can you be that cowardly?!"

"_Cowardly?!_ I didn't say_ I_ would watch from the sidelines, I said that I wouldn't let you get yourself killed when there's so little hope in this working! I'll join the Order, fine… but you won't." She sprang up from the bed as fast as if he had burned her.

"Do you think that I'm some possession of yours?! I'm not a child, Black!" she hissed. "I can do whatever I want with my life! You think that…! No! I can do whatever I damn well please! Don't you think I know what I'm getting myself into?! I want to do something for the good of everyone! Not just my own!"

"I don't think you know what you're getting into! More and more people are disappearing, if you're in the Order that just makes you a better target!"

"All the more reason to join! More disappearances! What if that was you or Lily or James or Remus?! How could I stand by and let them pick off every one of the people I love?!"

"By knowing that it could have been you!"

"No. I'm becoming an Auror and joining the Order. I don't care what you think I should do…" Her voice had quickly lost the energy it had held and she walked to the door. "I'm joining and I don't think that you should have to go through the ordeal of having your girlfriend killed during it all…" she walked back and pulled at one end of the black ribbon on her wrist, putting it in his hand as he looked at her, his face colorless. "I'll save you the trouble." She paused at the doorknob; her voice was a croak now. "I don't love you. I made a mistake and I lied, thinking that I could make it easier. I'm sorry if I hurt you. Please just leave me be. I don't love you." A moment later, she closed the door behind her; Sirius' nails digging into his palm, clutching the ribbon.

**OxO**

"Morgana?" Lily poked her head into the girls' dorm. "Are you in here?"

"Yes…" Morgana said quietly from her window seat.

"You missed Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms!"

"I know, and now you're missing lunch."

"Where were you?"

"Here."

"Why didn't you come?!"

"I couldn't…"

"Why not?!"

"Sirius… I broke it off." Lily's eyes widened as she looked at the ground.

"That explains a lot… he's really quiet today."

"Yeah, well, he thought that I'd get myself killed after we got out of school, so I figured I'd break up with him and save him the hassle of going to his girlfriend's funeral."

"What?"

"I'm going in for Auror training, I want to join the Order- he figures that I'll be killed one way or the other."

"Auror? I thought you were going in for a Healer!"

"No… I just didn't tell you what I wanted to do after all of this. He told me that I couldn't be an Auror or be in the Order because I'd be killed."

"The way things are going, anyone could be killed at any time."

"But he thinks that I'll be killed quicker then." Lily snorted.

"Gee, how thoughtful. Let it be a long and dragged out process."

"I know!"

"Look… you and Sirius are… right together. You've got to work it out."

"I can't. I'm trying to protect him instead of him protecting me and trying to waste how far I've come. This is better for both of us. I just need to take the day off. Maybe even tomorrow. I don't know… Get my homework?" Lily gave her a disapproving look and sighed.

"Fine. But you're going on Friday at the very latest. That means you have tomorrow if you really need to." Morgana nodded dully.

"Sure."

"I'll run and bring some food up or-"

"It's fine. I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I had a huge supper last night," she lied.

"Okay… well, I'll go then, alright?"

"Sounds good." Lily hugged Morgana quickly.

"Don't take it too hard. I know you love him, but… you have to do what you think is right."

"Thanks… now get going, you'll be late! Say 'hi' to James." Lily grinned widely.

"I will. He's so- yeah, I'll leave now," she added quickly, a look of embarrassment on her face. She ran out the door, leaving Morgana alone once again.

**OxO**

Morgana awoke on Thursday morning and looked at her clock- six. Her alarm would have gone off a while ago if she had bothered to set it. She would have to go to class today, there was no way around it. All that she would accomplish would be a pile of homework and notes to go through after spending another day cut off from the school.

That and she was starving.

She pushed herself out of bed and got ready quickly, running a brush through her hair and putting on her robes. A few minutes later, she was at the breakfast table, Lily and James already conversing.

"Hey, Morgana," James said with a smile as she across the table from him, next to Lily.

"Morning, guys."

"You going today?" Lily asked, a slightly skeptical look gracing her features.

"I'm here, aren't I? It would be useless to skip another day anyway. I'd just get more assignments."

"Morgana… maybe you should talk to him. Sirius is really beat up about this," James said carefully.

"You've only given him a day. He'll get over it. He'll be fine."

"He loves you."

"He needs to realize that I am an adult and can make my own decisions. I understand that he's worried about me, but… I'll die someday. I'd rather die doing something worthwhile, trying to make things better."

"I know, but he's still worried."

"I don't care how worried he is. He can't control me like I'm his possession! He thinks that because he's the guy and he's older than me by a measly couple of weeks, he can own me and tell me what I can and can't do! I've got news for him- he can't."

"It's not like that at all. He just doesn't know how else he can protect you!"

"Well, maybe I don't need protecting! Did that occur to him? I'm a big girl, I can handle myself, thank you very much." James shook his head.

"I guess it's not my place. Just… try to work it out?"

"I don't know. Look, I'm sorry our drama rained on your parade of… going out or however you want to put it. I really am happy for you guys."

"You're not raining on our parade, Ana, don't worry," Lily assured her, grinning at James.

"Yeah, the rest of the school's in shock, so we've got enough spectators at the parade," James said. Morgana looked around, noticing that quite a few eyes were fixed on the three of them- the Odd Couple and the Girl Who Broke Up with Sirius Black.

'_What a sight to behold…' _she thought bitterly. Out of habit, she rubbed the skin on her left wrist, but felt only skin where satin should have been. A sharp jolt went through her fingertips to the rest of her body and her stomach felt as though she had missed a stair on the way down. She had ended it- it was over.

And for the first time, she felt tears sting at her eyes. A wave of panic and shame washed over her. Why had she done it? Why hadn't she talked to him about it first? Never again would she kiss him or hold his hand in hers. She wouldn't hear him telling her that he loved her anymore. Instead, he would get over her in a while and would fall for another girl who would love him as he deserved. She would make him happy and never hurt him as Morgana had.

'_As long as he's happy… As long as his heart doesn't break… Then mine can break with a bit less guilt…'_

Right now, whenever she closed her eyes his face burst in front of her, his eyes full of pain and confusion- hopelessly bewildered at her. She had lied so horribly to him. He had to know what the truth was, yet he didn't come after her.

'_Maybe… Maybe he didn't care. _He_ had been the one pretending. If he had really wanted to talk, he could have asked someone to go and tell me, send a note._ _Something._ Anything._'_

But there was nothing.

It had been a lie.

'_Why was he so hurt?'_

'_Maybe he felt a little bad because he hurt you. It's doubtful that he would enjoy someone's agony… other than people he hates, of course.'_

'_So, he was hurt because he had hurt me by me trying to hurt him? That doesn't make sense…'_ Her mind was racing at an alarming rate; thoughts were jumping through her brain faster than she could sort through them. She closed up, feeling the shame and panic wash over her again.

And this time, nothing interrupted her agony. She felt any joy or hope drain from her. It had been sealed. She had tied up the ends of it.

It was broken, like her heart.

**OxO**

October

**OxO**

November

**OxO**

December

**OxO**

January

**OxO**

Nothing was quite the same anymore. Lily and James were still together and happy. Morgana felt guilty when she couldn't completely share in their happiness or when they were talking about her and Sirius instead of themselves. Time passed slowly for her, slowing down even more when she was in the same room with him. It never seemed like the classes would end. But after an eternity, they did. Everything passed, even if it seemed to take a lifetime. Life went on, as it should have

**OxO**

"Morgana?" Allie entered the dorm for the first time during the night. Lily had returned from patrol a few minutes ago and was now sleeping in her bed, like Chris. Both had fallen asleep immediately. Morgana kept a lamp on and was lounging on her side as she read _Romeo and Juliet_, unable to sleep because it was Valentine's Day and her mind was in another world.

"Yeah?"

"I got you something." Morgana looked a bit surprised as Allie held out an oddly shaped package, wrapped in tissue and curling ribbon. "I figured that since you and… I thought you should get something today too. You've been through enough this year." Morgana threw a small fake smile at her.

"Thanks, Al. I appreciate it."

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" The corners of Morgana's mouth twitched and she tore at the red tissue, casting it aside a few moments later. Inside was a soft, plushy bear, holding a little book with a heart on it. Shoved in between his arms and body was a small, shimmering greeting card. Morgana opened it, setting the bear in her lap. The inside was printed on from the factory reading "I love you beary much!."

"It came with the bear," Allie said, a slight pink flush to her cheeks. "I thought it was kind of cheesy, but the bear was too cute! I mean, just look at him! How could I deny that face?!" Morgana gave her a small smile and hugged her.

"Thank you, Allie."

"We love you, Morgana. We all care about you."

"I know, Allie. I love you, too."

"And you've done so much for everyone, it was the least I could do for you."

"What did I do for you?"

"Remus and I… he got up the courage to ask me a few days ago…" Morgana's eyes widened. "He said that it was only because he had a bit of a confidence boost after asking you… even with that, though, it took him a while."

"I'm so happy for you guys! Really, I am."

"Tha… Thank you," she yawned.

"You should sleep. Too much excitement. You can tell me about you and Remus tomorrow."

"Alright, thanks, Ana… 'Night."

"'Night. Sweet dreams."

"You, too." She heard Allie shuffle around for a few minutes, changing into her pajamas and then she heard the hangings on Allie's bed slide and soon her rhythmic breathing joined Chris and Lily's. Morgana put her book down and shut off the light, leaving her hangings open to look out at the moon, hugging her bear like a child. She closed her eyes and buried her face in the bear's fake fur. Since that morning, she hadn't properly smiled, hadn't laughed. She didn't really enjoy the time with her friends. She wouldn't turn them down if they wanted her to go to a Hogsmeade shop with them or join their study group, but she didn't talk much. Pranks had also taken a nosedive. There had been no sign of a firework in ages. At first, the Sirius Black Club was overjoyed at the news of the break-up- this looked like it was really the end. Last year, it was inevitable that they would get back together, but this was different- the ribbon was gone. Little by little, though, they gave up since Sirius didn't talk as much anymore. He wasn't the sit-in-the-corner type, like Morgana, but he had taken a bit more of a Remus-role in the scheme of things. He and Morgana didn't interact at all. They continued on as if the other didn't exist or was invisible. Occasionally, he stole a glance at her, taking in every inch of her face (desperate as she looked) hungrily; but that wasn't often. She distanced herself as much as possible, always hiding behind someone or something, at a far corner of the room, hurrying off to accomplish some menial task while she pretended that the entire population depended on it being completed- she just had to keep her mind off of it.

At this time of night, her distraction was reciting the distinguishing traits of different dragons.

'_With a fringe of golden spikes, and an explosion of flames when it's angry, the Chinese fireball is the only oriental dragon,'_ she thought, reciting from her textbook. _'The Fireball itself is quite an aggressive animal, but it is more tolerant with its own species, rather than other dragons. It feeds on-'_ She stopped. Someone was outside the cracked dormitory door. She pretended to sleep, peering through her lashes. After at least a half hour, she gave up and flipped over to her other side, mentally slapping herself- stupid imagination. Spooking herself at a shadow. Idiot. She began to fall asleep and felt herself roll over onto her back, enjoying the black bliss that was slowly taking over her body. This part of sleep was the least painful time. It was the time when memories couldn't weave their way into her dreams since she was not fully asleep. She sighed- this part of the night was always so perfect. She felt herself drifting farther and rolled back to her other side to look out the window, dreading the deeper part of sleep where she could dream. She froze in terror the moment she caught glimpse of the doorway- _somebody was here_. She slowly inched her hand toward her wand at the edge of the nightstand- no sudden movements. She kept watch on the silhouette through her eye lashes. It was a male… how had he gotten past? These dorms were extremely safe! Only females were allowed up! She kept moving her hand towards the wand, a foot away, still.

"Morgana…" the man breathed. She froze completely, her breathing stopped. "My Morgana…" He stepped towards the bed. "I'm not here to hurt you. I know you're awake, you don't need a wand." The voice sounded tired, weary and worn. Her eyes snapped open at once.

"Who are you?!" she hissed. She was terrified to wake the others in case he was armed and going to hurt them. She had to leave them out of it.

"Ah…" he sighed. A moment later, he took another step into the moonlight, his jet black hair glistening, perfectly contrasting his pale skin. "Now do you see?" Sirius asked her.

"Why are you here?!" She tried to make her voice as harsh as it had been before, but now it was only a rasping sound, just as tired as his voice. "How did you get in?"

"I need to talk to you… Morgana… I can't do it any longer." He was now kneeling at the side of her bed while she was propped up on her left elbow, glaring at him. His eyes pleaded, he was begging her.

"Well, you're going to have to, because I'm going to be like this for eternity, get used to it."

"I can't! Morgana, this is ridiculous! Please, hear me out!"

"Why? You didn't care what I wanted until I wanted to leave you. When you finally listened, it was too late. I did it for your own good."

"The only reason I don't want you to join anything is because I can't bear the thought of losing you in any way. Not seeing your smile, not hearing your laugh, not tasting your lips… I lost you… By trying to spare me from it, you just gave it to me in a different way."

"You'll get over it."

"I can't! Each day it just gets worse! I love you too much to let you go! Please, just give me another chance! I promise… I promise…"

"I can't stand your begging," she said stiffly, not looking at him.

"Then I'll tell you! Morgana… I can't live without you! My entire existence is based on your happiness, your energy! In the past year, I've fallen in love with you to a point that I can't love you much more! I've even gone so far as to break into the girls' dormitories just to see you sleep for a moment! I need you like I need air… More than that, even! I loved you the first moment I saw you, when you nearly knocked me over at Platform 9¾! I couldn't even talk to you about joining the Order or becoming an Auror because I knew that there was an even greater chance of me losing you if you were involved in something like that! I'm sorry if I insulted you or scared you, I never meant to do that, I just want you to be safe because… you're more a part of me than I am. I would live for you, die for you, _kill_ for you! Anything! Please, accept my apology… know that I love you… You don't even have to take me back, just… tell me that you'll take a moment out of your life to contemplate forgiving me. I know how you need you freedom, your independence. I took that away from you and…"

"It's not just that… I can't have you suffer because I die. If I break up with you and we're apart, it'll be easier."

"No. It won't. Nothing could lessen the blow to me… please, Morgana… please…" She slid down on the floor next to him, pressing her palms against his and marveling at their hands before interlocking her fingers with his.

"Being with you is like standing on the edge of a dream. It all seems too perfect, so perfect that I want nothing more than to live it. One day, I'll wake up and you'll be gone. Someday, I'll die, or you'll die, or something else will come between us, and it'll all be over- we'll be apart. I thought I could make it easier on both of us... now I know better." By now, she could feel the tears streaming down her face. He kissed her hands and stroked her wrist with her thumb

"I'll wake up with you, and we can live in reality together after the dream dies."

"I'd like that.

"Is that a 'yes?'" he asked. She nodded and he kissed her. It was not careful this time; this time, it was passionate, unguarded. After a while he pulled away. "Are you sure this is what you want?" She kissed him again and breathed only one word:

"Positive."

**OxO**

"Morgana… Morgana?"

"Mm?"

"Love, it's time to get up, as much as I love watching you sleep…" She groaned and rubbed her eyes, not bothering to open them yet.

"I'm too tired to face a school full of idiots this morning!"

"Well, considering you just woke up to one of them, I'd say your day is off to an idiotic start."

"You're not an idiot… Well, okay, maybe you are at times, but not like the rest of the school. Your fan club was all excited, and now we've completely pooped their party."

"It was my party to poop. Come on, you'll be late." Morgana opened her hangings and walked over to her dresser.

"Morning, Ana. How'd you-" Lily paused, startled when she saw Sirius. "Um…"

"I think she was going to ask how you slept, but… I don't know if that question is open to discussion," Chris said, smirking at the two. Morgana rolled her eyes and Sirius tugged at the collar of his shirt as he sat down on her trunk. He was already dressed.

"Chris…" she said, a hint of warning in her voice.

"Fine, fine. Just let it be known that the topic was not open to discussion, she couldn't deny it. It's good that you two made up though." Morgana nodded in acknowledgement as she leaned onto her dresser to get a closer look at her eye.

"Everything's good again?" Allie asked, staring at Morgana. She looked up at her.

"If it wasn't, he wouldn't be standing in the girls' dorms, he'd be lying outside on the ground below them." She glanced in the mirror and saw that Sirius was twitching the corners of his mouth behind her.

"How'd you get up here anyway, Sirius?" Lily asked, clearly not concerned that he was violating school rules.

"Ah, that, Miss Evans, is a wonderful tale to be told. It involves some rope, peanut butter, a basket, eight rolls of Spell-O tape, a quill, and four silenced, non-glowing fireworks."

"Silenced, non-glowing fireworks? What's the point of those?"

"You can't buy them, I had to charm them just for this purpose."

"Not to be rude, Sir, but could you go outside for a minute," Morgana asked, casting aside her sleep sweater to reveal her pajama top. "We have to get dressed and that requires undressing, first." She could tell he had a few remarks prepared, but he said nothing and stepped out, closing the door behind him. They went into the space between their beds, hangings drawn, and got dressed quickly, Morgana finishing first. She hurried over to her dresser and ran a comb through her hair before running to the small bathroom and brushing her teeth. By the time she had rinsed the sink out, the others were closing their dresser drawers and brushing their hair. This was an unusual sight for Morgana. Usually, everyone was asleep when she woke up. She flicked her wand at her bed and it made itself as she picked up her back.

"See you at breakfast," she called, opening the door. She ran full force into Sirius, but he didn't seem fazed. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"Do you know how much I missed that?"

"Missed what?"

"Your scent. On you, on my pillow. Even when I'm not transformed, I still have a very strong sense of smell."

"Now you're just being silly. I thought we agreed that things would be back to normal."

"They can't, because I'm never taking you for granted again."

"It just doesn't seem like you, saying all of that."

"I know, but it is." She smiled and he led her down the stairs. As soon as he set foot on them, the staircase turned into a huge slide with a loud _crack_. Morgana let out a little squeal as she fell backwards, pulled down the stairs by the hand that refused to let go of Sirius' fingers, even as they slackened their grip. He let go of her and tried to slow them down, but slid down just as fast, over the landing and hitting the opposite wall with a thud. A second later, Morgana crashed into him. There was a long pause.

"Ow…" she said, laughing a little.

"Wasn't expecting that… I thought it would let us down okay…"

"Well, it certainly helped us get down. Are you all right?"

"Do I still have a head?"

"Yes."

"Two arms?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'm fine. You?"

"My blow was cushioned by a teenage wizard, I'm fine." She stood up and offered him a hand, but he got up without her help.

"Breakfast?"

"Of course." She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and walked out with him, into the corridor. She began to walk down the stairs, but he stayed behind.

"We're a bit later than you like, want to get to breakfast quicker?" She shrugged.

"Doesn't matter."

"I know a way… the Marauder way."

"Does it involve breaking any school rules?"

"Not specifically…" She gave him a skeptical look. "I've done it loads of times. Plus, how many rules have we broken since last night?"

"Several- breaking into the dorms, me not telling the teacher-"

"Not so loud. So, what's your answer?" She sighed.

"Fine. How?" He held out his arms. "A power hug?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He gave a small sigh and shook his head, scooping her up.

"Close your eyes or else you probably'll freak out." There was a slight flash of alarm in her eyes, but she closed them anyway. She felt him walk down a few steps and then sit down. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you, just do what I do and we'll be fine." She tightened her arms around his neck ever so slightly. "Ready?" She nodded. A moment later, there was a huge rush of wind. Out of curiosity, she opened her eyes and let out a soft scream, jumping slightly and shutting her eyes once more. She felt Sirius jerk, but recompose an instant later. She clung on tighter to him.

"I told you not to look!"

"I couldn't help it! What are you doing?!"

"Sliding down a banister with you on my lap!"

"This is insane! We fall, we die!"

"Let go! Not literally, just… enjoy it! Lean with me now!" She leaned back with him and opened her eyes slightly.

"Sirius? Sirius that staircase is changing and the banister's moving! _Sirius!_"

"Hold on!" She felt him kick out and lean towards the direction of the banister. As they landed, he grunted and winced. "It hurts a bit more when you're landing with another person on you."

"Sorry."

"Let go! I'll hold onto you, put your arms up." She looked a little more nervous. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes!"

"Then put your arms up, go on, it'll be fun!" She hesitated, but did put her arms up- it _was_ rather fun. She felt Sirius lean into another turn and went with him, giving a whooping shout. They passed a pair of first years who watched them with wide eyes. "Almost there!" he said loudly. She put her hands back on his shoulders, fearing how he would have them land. He put one arm under her knees and another around her back. "Get ready… One… two…. three…" He kicked off once more and landed expertly, only taking a few steps forward, not stumbling at all. He carefully set Morgana down.

"That was… exhilarating! When can we do it again?"

"Tonight I'll teach you how." Her face broke into a wide grin.

**OxO**

"Alright, I'll teach you how to slide at my side, then I can help if need be, okay?"

"Sure." Sirius had taken Morgana into the Room of Requirement which had been turned into a huge section of staircases, landings covered in pillows.

"Do you think you can jump on the banister? I think it'd be easier to teach you that way… maybe. You'll go faster and that'll be easier on switches. Jump like-" he ran at the banister and turned slightly as he jumped at it, sliding down quickly. He made it to the bottom of the stairs and shot back up on a broom waiting at the bottom. "Try it?"

"You know that this is dangerous?"

"Yep."

"I could injure myself."

"I know."

"And you're letting me?"

"I can't protect you from everything. Besides, I'm not letting you get too banged up." She nodded and took a deep breath before running at the banister and turning. At first, she thought she had it, then she felt one side of her slipping back farther than the other. She tried to fix it, but felt herself slipping more.

"Sirius?!"

"Use your left foot! Press it along the part underneath the banister that has no gaps. Use that to straighten yourself." She did as she was told and in a few moments, she was sliding like she normally. Sirius was a few feet behind her. "Lean back on this turn." She saw the turn coming up and leaned back, enjoying the adrenaline rush. "Now, on the landing… Push off with your hands and feet. Push off as hard as you can! When you land, don't try to stand perfectly still. Bend your knees and jog, you won't shatter your ankle, then. Land like you would if you were leaping and fade into a run, okay?"

"Alright."

"I'll tell you when. Bring your legs up and push with your feet and hands. Wait for it… Wait… three… two… go!" Morgana pushed off with all her might and landed, jogging to a stop. She heard Sirius land behind her and jog two paces before he stopped.

"How'd I do?"

"That was a perfect land for your first time! Sliding down banisters is pretty easy to do. I knew you'd get it quickly."

"Can I do it again?!"

"As much as you want." She summoned the broom and rode it back up the steps. This time, she didn't have any problems getting on the banister. She put her arms up this time, laughing as she went down. When she had to land, she pushed off and Sirius caught her after she took one step.

"It's insane…" she said, calming down.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" She looked over at the clock on the far wall.

"It's 9:30, we could get caught."

"All the more reason to go," he told her, grinning crookedly. "Come on. What have you got to lose?" One corner of her mouth pulled up, she looked down at the ground and then back up at him.

"Nothing anymore." He tugged at her hand, leading her out of the room. "Wait, I need my jacket! We'll have to go back to the dorms!" He held out her jacket.

"This? Morgana, love, we're in the Room of _Requirement_." She blushed and took it from him while he picked up his coat from a table.

"Oh…" She quickly put on her coat and pulled her hat on her head.

"Is that the one I gave you way back when?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her, walking them towards the door.

"I didn't think you would like it that much."

"Of course I would! You gave it to me." They snuck through the corridors and out the door, running towards the trees near the lake. They went through the small patch of woods until they found the open area near the edge of the water. In the spring and summer, there would have been a grassy area before the sandy shores. Now, it was just snow.

"Where's the edge of the lake?" Morgana asked him. He glanced forward and walked to where the shore would be, tapping each spot with his foot before stepping on it. A few steps later, she heard a crack and Sirius removed his foot from the ice.

"You can go this far. After that, I have to jump in and save you and get all wet."

"Then I'll be sure not to fall in, I don't want to bother you."

"You never bother me." She smiled at him.

"You're very handsome though, even when you're wet." He kissed her forehead and pulled her close to him.

"Because of me, we lost four months. We could have had four more months together."

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine. We'll make up for it though. We've got the rest of our lives to."

"But… _here_… We lost four months at _Hogwarts_… It's my home. This is where I met James and Remus and Peter- everyone… _It's where I met you_. These have been the happiest years of my life…" She pressed her forehead to his chest and he rested his chin on her head.

"I know. Mine too… But, after it all, it'll be okay. We'll still have amazing times, we'll just be living elsewhere. It'll be great." He brought her chin up, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Of course it will… I'll have you- all I need." She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I want to stay like this forever. You and me… perfectly… simply…" He took one arm from around her and pulled something gently from his pocket.

"I have something for you. I don't have any money and I didn't get you anything for Christmas or your birthday or Valentine's Day… but, I've got something I want to return to you." He took her left wrist and tied the black ribbon around it once more, kissing the knot of the bow. She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Sirius… it's snowing…" He looked up, blinking into the pure, white flakes, grinning when one fell into his eye.

"We should start heading in, Lily'll worry about you." She gave a small frown. "I didn't say we had to walk fast!"

"Well, then I guess we could go in. Can I sleep in by you?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

**OxO**

"Morgana?! Morgana?! Where is she?"

"I'm right here, James. What's wrong?" Morgana was sitting in the crowded Common Room, reading a book. "Shouldn't you be at practice?"

"Marlene…" he panted. "She got hurt. The wind was… too much and she fell off of her broom. We couldn't get to… her in time. Madam… Pomfrey says she won't be able… to play the Cup." Morgana's eyes widened. "She said that you could." She let out an excited squeal and jumped up to hug James.

"I mean, it's horrible about Marlene, but… did she really say so?"

"I argued with her about it and she okayed it!"

"James, I'm out of practice!"

"We won't be able to have many practices between now and then, but… we'll get a few in before N.E.W.T.s. I might be able to get one or two in during them too." She covered her mouth.

"I can play?! Seriously?!"

"Seriously."

"How bad_ is_ Marlene?"

"Not nearly as bad as you were. She's conscious now, but Madam Pomfrey always takes it out of hand if the Marauders are involved."

"Can I see her?"

"Marlene? Sure, come on." She followed James out, her book still in her hands. When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, Sirius was doing some weird dance with Beth, trying to cheer Marlene up. She was laughing a bit, but there were still tears streaking down her face.

"Marlene?" she looked over at James and Morgana as soon as they entered, Sirius was now linking arms with Beth and swinging her around as if they were square dancing.

"Hey, Morgana. You taking my position?"

"Yeah. I'm so sorry, Mar." She sighed.

"We practiced so hard! But the wind picked up and… my broom's getting fixed and those school brooms- you know how they handle!"

"They don't."

"Exactly! I didn't fall from too far, I guess, but one leg was shattered and it hurts a bit still. They couldn't get to me fast enough with the wind and- ugh! I'm so pissed at myself!"

"There's nothing you could have done, honey. It's just one of those things. But you have next year to play."

"Yeah. I guess it's kinda nice that you get to play your last game. That's one good thing." They smiled at each other.

"It'll be okay, Marlene. Listen, if you-"

"What's going on out here?! This isn't a party! This is a ward! Out, all of you! Out!" Madam Pomfrey shooed them into the corridor in a heartbeat.

**OxO**

"Sirius?"

"Hm?"

"We need to talk." Sirius and Morgana were the last ones in the Common Room, the night before the first N.E.W.T. Sirius was dozing off in an armchair, attempting to read over notes, while Morgana had notes and textbooks spread out over the couch, soaking in every word she could. The four months that had been spent without any contact with Sirius had been dedicated completely to schoolwork- she always had a pile of notes or a book in her hand. Studying was a bit easier because of that.

"About what?"

"The Order." Sirius carefully closed his book, taking his time.

"About you joining, then?"

"Yes. I have to do something to help. I can't just sit around and let others die for me."

"Isn't an Auror enough, though, love? You'd be helping already."

"What if I took a few years off and then started my training. That's what some have done. I know that's what Alastor Moody did, and look how he turned out."

"You only want half of a set of eyes?"

"No! I want to be a successful Auror. I want to put these people in Azkaban, I want to save lives."

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Dumbledore is going to call us in to talk to him tomorrow. You and me, then Lily and James, then Chris and Allie, then Remus and Peter."

"How do you know?"

"I heard McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey talking about it when I had to walk Laurel to the Hospital Wing after she got hysterical. We'll get off earlier tomorrow and he'll call us in, then."

"If you join, I join. We're a package, now." Her face brightened.

"Is that a 'yes'? You're comfortable with it."

"I'm not comfortable, but I won't fight you on it. As long as training is after the Order. This is the only thing I'm truly worried about." She smiled.

"Excellent. Do you want to go to bed?"

"Considering the fact that it's 1:42, yes, I'd like that."

"I really should stay another hour, but-"

"But you have the entire textbook memorized. I think you can cut one hour." She shrugged.

"I'm not arguing with you tonight. I'll save that for later."

"All I have to do is let you join some group that'll endanger your life and/or kill you. Gee, what a trade-off."

"I know, isn't it great?"

"If I don't get enough sleep tomorrow, I might have to send you into the Slytherin Common Room. Your life for some sleep- fabulous."

**OxO**

"Pads! Hurry up!"

"I'm coming Prongs! Maybe you shouldn't flush my shoelaces down the toilet next time!"

"Not now! Come on!" A moment later, James and Sirius emerged from the boys' changing rooms.

"Ready now?!" Morgana exclaimed. "The Quidditch Cup and Sirius takes his time! Just perfect!" They made it to the group.

"Gryffindor!" the commentator roared. The curtains drew up and the team stepped onto the field, pumping their fists in the air and raising up their hands, beaming, shouting, and jumping up and down. This was always one of the best parts of the Cup- seeing everyone so excited about the match. "Slytherin!" The green and silver curtains rose and the Slytherin team rushed out, making faces and hand gestures at their opponents before turning to their supporters and thrusting their right fists into the air, simultaneously.

"If I see that one more time, your fingers will be jinxed together!" the referee roared. They were unfazed. "Captains, shake hands!" James and the other captain shook hands. "On my whistle! Three, two-" Morgana heard the whistle screech and kicked off with all her might. The crowd, which had not quieted, roared even louder as the fourteen players shot into the air like bullets.

"Remember Morgana, at least eighty points up and you can get the Snitch!" James bellowed at her.

"I haven't forgotten! Get going!" she yelled at him, gesturing to the Quaffle that was in Gryffindor hands. He grinned and flew off once more.

"_Go, go, Gryffindor! Lions for the Cup!"_ Morgana heard the crowd chant. She grinned and flew over the stands, grazing the tips of her fingers to the spectators'. They let out even louder screams and she flew off, never losing sight of the other Seeker who was frantically looking for the Snitch.

"Morgana le Fay flies over the stands, egging on Gryffindor supporters! Can't deny that she must be enjoying her flight today! The first game of this season was her last game. Hit with a Bludger that was aimed by her own boyfriend, one Sirius Black-" the screams of the crowd seemed a bit higher pitch. "-she was knocked out, literally, a second after she caught the Snitch. Gryffindor won the game, but she hasn't played a game since. Marlene McKinnon was knocked out during practice a couple of weeks ago and could not play this game, but le Fay is almost certain not to disappoint Gryffindor fans. This girl has one great record. Not perfect, but pretty good, I must say. Will she win her last game? One can only hope."

"Here's to hoping!" Sirius bellowed, aiming a Bludger at the Slytherin seeker. It broke the front of his broom and spun him off course, but he appeared unharmed.

"Black aims a Bludger at Scrion and misses by a hair! Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle. Potter aims and- B-I-N-G-O folks! That's 10-nil, Gryffindor!"

"Nice one, James!" Sirius shouted, zooming past his friend as they slapped hands.

"You know it, Pads!" After Gryffindor had scored thirty points, Slytherin scored another ten. There was major applause from Slytherin then, but it only lasted a few moments before Gryffindor scored another five goals.

"Potter scores yet _another_ goal! That's 150-30 Gryffindor!"

"Any day, now, Morgana!" James shouted at her. She opened her mouth to retort, but then she saw it. The Snitch was hovering right near the commentator's stand.

"Okay, then!" she screamed back. She flew as fast as she could to the stands, the other seeker on her tail in moments. The commentator's eyes widened.

"Dammit!" he shouted, ducking as Morgana shot towards him. "Was it something I said?!" The snitch darted off to the right and then up, to the left again. She was closing in. It was a mere foot away now. She flicked her head back and saw the front of the seeker's broom near her foot. She pushed off on it and felt the cold, fluttering ball grasped in her fingers- she caught the Snitch.

"Morgana le Fay gets the Snitch! That's 150 more points! 300-30… Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup!" Morgana felt tears stream down her face as she stopped in midair, the team rushing towards her in a blur of scarlet and gold. Sirius knocked into her open arms first, James hit her an instant later. The rest of the team collided into them seconds later, dull punches to the group.

"You did it, baby…" Sirius laughed in her ear.

"We all did!" she reminded him, her breath caught in her throat. The crowd underneath them was insane. James had his arms around Morgana's shoulders, pinned by the rest of the team.

"Morgana Caroline Antoinette Harmons le Fay- I love you!" he shouted. The entire team burst out laughing. "It's great to have you back." They slowly descended to the ground, barely aware of their movements.

"Wait!" she shouted. She zoomed over the stands, looking for one face among hundreds. Finally, she found her. "Marlene, hop up!" Marlene grabbed a hold of Morgana's two hands and she hoisted the younger girl up onto the back of her broom. They were back at the group a few moments later, the referee getting ready to present the Cup.

"le Fay!" the ref shouted at her, beckoning for her to come and stand next to James. She tugged at Marlene's hand, but she wouldn't budge.

"Go on," Marlene said.

"But you got the team this far."

"You worked hard too. You could have done it. You won the most important game! I've got next year when we win," she added, grinning. Morgana beamed and took the other handle of the Cup, holding it up as high as she could. The rest of the team stood around them, posing quickly for a camera, Marlene standing next to Kat. As soon as the photographer was out of the way, the crowd swarmed the field, taking all eight of them onto their shoulders, still chanting and screaming. They made their way into the castle, their yelling still echoing through the forest.

**OxO**

It was the last exam. Five more minutes and there would be no more N.E.W.T.s. Morgana had finished proofreading her answers for the third time seven minutes ago. She had been staring at the clock since then, checking Sirius every ten seconds. He had finished about three minutes ago and she knew he wouldn't bother to proofread his answer sheet. She glanced over at him as he yawned.

'_I can't believe he actually dozed off! Right in the middle of the test!'_ She had knocked her ink bottle off the desk to wake him up. _'He had to have been out for at least ten minutes…'_ She'd have to talk to him about it later.

"Two minutes!" Professor Flitwick called. She looked over at Sirius again, the seat to her immediate left. He had been watching her and winked when she glanced in his direction out of the corner of her eye, she grinned at him as he gave her an "_Ok_" sign and her eyes flicked up to the four examiners standing in the front of the room- the oldest-looking, Tofty, was raising his eyebrows at her in warning. She felt her cheeks grow hot and threw him an apologetic look. She looked back at Sirius who was grinning devilishly. She covered her mouth discreetly, trying to hide from the examiners, and stuck out her tongue at Sirius. Lily, behind her, coughed and Morgana focused on the notes engraved in her desk. She carefully traced _'78 _into part of the wood.

"Thirty seconds!" She read a few of the carvings- _A.R. & F.L._, _Slug sucks!_, _Class of '62_. She traced a heart that had already been engraved on the desk, defining it in black ink.

"Quills down! I will collect your parchment!" The seventh years' quills fell to their desks and their answers zoomed to the front of the room. "That was your last class at Hogwarts, students! A reminder: Until your graduation in three days, you no longer have class. That means that you may wander the usual grounds, your towers, the library, etc. Do not disturb the classes in session, do not cause any damage. You are still students here, even if you have no more classes. Set a good example! You're free to go!" Everyone clapped, a few shouted and whistled and then they were out- hurrying from the room to get to the grounds.

"You fell asleep!" Morgana said to Sirius as pushed through the crowd going out the door.

"I know, I know! I have to replace your ink too."

"Don't worry about the ink, why did you fall asleep?"

"I was tired."

"Why were you tired?"

"I didn't fall asleep right away."

"Why?"

"I was watching you." She sighed.

"Next time something important comes up, we're sleeping in separate rooms." He kissed the top of her head.

"Relax, I finished early anyway."

"Fine. Do you have your dress robes for graduation?"

"Of course. I imagine you have what you're going to wear?"

"I've had it for a while, now. Yes. Girls tend to worry about these things a bit more than you guys."

"Dress?"

"Yep."

"You don't wear many dresses, do you?"

"Only when need be. I prefer pants and jeans."

"I prefer wearing pants to dresses as well." She rolled her eyes at his cocky grin, shaking her head. "What? Would you rather I was a cross-dresser?"

"No."

"Then don't complain! Some people's kids, honestly…"

"Knock it off!" she laughed. He put his arm around her shoulders and buried his face in her hair, leading her down to the lake. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked ahead, Lily and James holding hands as they walked. Farther to their left, Morgana saw Remus and Allie walking slowly to the shore, Remus looking at the ground as he talked.

"Promise me something?" Sirius asked.

"Hm?"

"If we ever disagree again, just…" She stood on her toes and kissed the side of his neck. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Exactly… I'm sorry I tried to control you. It was completely wrong and… pig-headed. We could have had four more months like this. Closer to five, really."

"It was my fault. I should have talked to you before I broke up with you. I was in such a dead trance afterwards… I… couldn't distinguish one day from the other."

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head.

"It's over now. We're okay, I've got my ribbon- all I need." Sirius smiled.

"All _we_ need…"

**OxO**

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Definitely. You can back out still."

"Never. Knock on the door, love." Morgana raised a fist and tapped the door to the Headmaster's office three times.

"_Enter._" The door clicked and Morgana pushed it open. "Ah, Miss le Fay, Mr. Black! Come in, sit down." Dumbledore was wearing his usual purple robes, his eyes shimmering behind his spectacles. The two took their seats in the chairs on the other side of his desk. "I trust your examinations went well?"

"Very, thank you, sir," Morgana said, smiling.

"I hate to be blunt, but I'd really like to get to the matter at hand, if you don't mind. You may have noticed my absences this year. Do you have an idea why? Miss le Fay, I would imagine you do."

"The Order of the Phoenix…"

"Very good. Do you know much about it? I know your parents were involved in it in your third year."

"We both know, Professor," Sirius said.

"Excellent. We're looking for more witches and wizards that show defiance to the Dark Arts. Not everyone is being asked to join. This is a life or death mission, it's a difficult path, you might die, the person next to you that you love might die. Nothing is certain by joining. This is dangerous, this is serious. I'd like you to think about it and tell me if you would like to join or not."

"Sir, we've already thought about it- your conversations are not as private as you think, sometimes."

"What is your decision, Miss le Fay?" Morgana felt Sirius grip her hand tightly and she looked at him. She saw fear in his eyes and she felt a lump rise in her throat- '_the person next to you that you love might die._' He was petrified for her sake and she was terrified for his. He tore his eyes away and looked at Dumbledore.

"We're in." She looked back at Dumbledore, his expression unreadable.

"Make sure that you are certain of your decision. If you change your minds, be sure to tell me, don't be afraid to let me know. This is a very difficult thing- you'd be a fool not to be afraid, but it _is_ for the greater good."

"We won't change our minds," she said, determined.

"In that case, I'll be right back. If you would excuse me…" He disappeared up a staircase and into another room.

"Morgana, don't worry, I'll protect you. I'd die before I let something happen to you." She shook her head, her eyes stinging with tears.

"I'm worried about _you_! I could care less if I got killed! If something happened to you…"

"Then I'll make sure that nothing will. I love you, and I'll make sure that nothing hurts you, even if that means I have to stop something from hurting me. I will keep both of us safe… I love you…" She exhaled and he saw tears spill from her eyes. "Morgana…" A second later, she was sitting on his lap, her face buried in his shoulder.

"Promise me that you'll do anything to survive… even if that means putting me in danger… promise me…"

"We'll make it through this… both of us. Putting you in danger won't be an option. The two of us will be completely safe. I'll protect us both. I promise."

"I love you." She heard his heart accelerate and his voice lowered a bit.

"I love you, too…" He rubbed his hand up and down her back. A few minutes later, she was calm and wiping her eyes. Dumbledore returned while Morgana still sat on Sirius' lap.

"Alright. Things have been taken care of, you may leave whenever you like. Please send Mr. Potter and Miss Evans along after you, if you could."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." They stood up and Dumbledore came behind them, a hand on Sirius' and Morgana's shoulders.

"Thank you both. We need all we can get." They nodded and walked back to the Gryffindor Tower.

"It's going to be okay." Morgana felt Sirius slip his hand into hers, she squeezed it.

"As long as you're okay, it _will_ be okay." He smiled down at her.

"Then I'll be better than okay."

**OxO**

Sirius was waiting at the bottom of the staircase that led to the Great Hall. Girls were passing him in long, flowing dresses, flashing him excited smiles. He acknowledged them with his own, more anxious half-smile. He saw Lily coming down the stairs and took a step towards her. She was wearing an emerald green dress, the same color as her eyes, her hair half pulled back. She smiled warmly at him.

"She'll be right down. She looks beautiful Sirius, more than usual."

"You look stunning, Lily. James is in the back waiting for you." He saw her eyes light up and she hugged him.

"Thanks, Sirius. You look great too. See you in a few." She walked into the room off of the Great Hall that all the students were gathering in. He watched a few more people pass by before he turned and leaned back against the banister, watching them file into the doorway. He tapped his heel absently, checking his watch every half-minute.

"Sirius…" He turned immediately, his elbow still resting on the banister. Morgana's dress was a shimmering silver, flowers embroidered on the top and bottom of the bodice. Her hair looked longer and was perfectly waved, half-pulled back, like Lily's. She smiled when she saw him, taking in every inch of him. "You look… dashing…" she admitted truthfully, walking down to fumble with his collar. She must have been wearing very high heels, because she had never been that tall before.

"I think I forgot how to breathe." She laughed, her face even more flawless than usual, sparkly powder covering her eyelids.

"Everyone looks beautiful tonight."

"You put everyone else to shame, love. Turn around, let me see." He took one of her hands and spun her around, admiring every inch of her.

"Well?"

"Perfect. Utterly amazing." She blushed brilliantly.

"You look handsome too. It's very nice to see you dressed up. Should we go in?"

"I'm going to show you off to everyone in the place." She rolled her eyes, still grinning.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late to our own graduation!"

"There are still more people coming, we're not last."

"Come on!" she laughed.

"Persuade me." She put a hand on either of his shoulders and kissed him gently. "Is that all?"

"Save the rest for later. I promise. Please can we go?" He saw the excitement sparkling in her eyes.

"Alright, let's go." She half-dragged him into the classroom off of the Great Hall. There were no desks in it today. Now, McGonagall, Slughorn, and Flitwick were trying to get everybody to line up in two lines- one would go to the left side and one to the right. Sirius lined up in front of Morgana.

"Can I pair up with you, Morgana?" She turned to her left, Benjy Fenwick was politely smiling at her.

"Sure, Benjy! I haven't talked to you in a while! How have you been?"

"Very good. You look beautiful. How are you lately?"

"Great, thanks. I heard about your grandfather, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it was a bit hard, but he lived a really long life. Not like…" She knew he what he was going to say.

"Tar would have loved to be here. She's missed a lot already… but I suppose she's better off. She was in a lot of pain before and now…" He nodded.

"I know what you mean." They didn't say anymore, she felt a stab at her heart when she realized how much her aunt would have enjoyed this. Helping Morgana pick out a dress, seeing her go up and get her diploma. It just didn't seem right.

"You look great tonight, Morgana," someone said in her ear. She turned.

"Remus! Thank you. You look really great too." He smiled at her and she hugged him tightly. "Hey, Peter!" She said after Remus let go of her. He looked up at her, even shorter because she was wearing heels.

"You look very pretty tonight, Morgana."

"You look good yourself, Pete." He blushed.

"Everyone, quiet down!" McGonagall barked. There was immediate silence. "Good. Follow me, please." The lines began moving out of the door and through to the doors of the Great Hall. Once everyone was out, McGonagall began directing people to leave- Chris first, then Allie, Lily, James, Sirius, then Morgana. She was about half-way up the aisle when she saw her parents and Steve smiling at her. She winked at the three of them and kept walking. Banners from all four houses decorated the Great Hall, along with streamers representing the houses. The ceiling was full of stars, even though the sun had not yet set outside. She got to her seat and Sirius grabbed her hand.

"This is it!" she whispered. She watched the girls come in; most of them wearing dresses with different layers to them, like hers; each girl had a different color on. Once everyone was standing at their chairs, Dumbledore spoke.

"Students, please turn and face your families." Everyone turned. "These are the 1978 graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The audience in the Great Hall applauded as the graduates beamed. Once the applause stopped, they turned to face the front. "These students have come so far, working tirelessly to this moment in their educational careers. Their presence in this school has been one of joy, admiration, and pride. They brought much life to this school with their jokes, pranks, and humor.-" His eyes fell on the Marauders "Their eagerness and love of magic have made these seven years very interesting. It will certainly be quieter without them." There were several laughs, James and Sirius looked over at one another and then back up at Dumbledore.

"You all love us!" They said together- a few more laughs.

"We'll now have our Head Girl, Lily Evans from Gryffindor, say a few words representing her fellow students." There was scattered applause as Lily walked carefully to the podium that Dumbledore had stepped away from. She fumbled with a paper and stammered.

"Hello. I'm Lily Evans… um… wow, this is scary. These past seven years have been great. They've been full of life, death, joy, sadness, and certainly love. I won't forget the friends that I've made here and I hope that they won't forget me. We've all worked so hard and… the students in this year are really great. Everyone's so different and yet we all get along… for the most part. We've learned so much from Hogwarts, not only educationally either. We've learned many things that are… er… social and… emotional. We've learned to deal with difficult things and we've learned how not to deal with things. We all made mistakes sometimes, but there were always people around that helped us and cared for us and made it seem like we were the only ones that mattered. The teachers are great, the students are fantastic, everyone here is so amazing. I'll miss them all. I'm really sad to leave and… I don't really want to go, but I know everything will turn out okay- we'll all have happy endings. Thank you." There was a loud round of applause as Lily walked down. James and Morgana let out whooping screams of agreement while several people whistled, including Sirius and Peter's attempts.

"Now, we'll have our Head Boy, also of Gryffindor, James Potter. I trust you won't be disappointed in his speech," Dumbledore chuckled. There was scattered applause once more and the remaining Marauders let out calls as well. James sprinted up to the podium, holding his arms wide and turning for them all, making elaborate bows.

"Thank you, thank you! Ladies, gentlemen- we love you!" He jumped up to the podium and hit his hands on it. "This year has been awesome! These past seven years have been kick-arse! Whoops, shouldn't have said that. Anywho- yeah, now you're regretting your decision, aren't you, pretentious table of professors? You know you love me. Anyway. As I was saying: This entire experience at Hogwarts has been utterly… amazing! I like most of you, I love a select few of you (don't even say what you're thinking, guys. You're just jealous.), and some of you I can't stand. However, a good majority of you rocketh, and for that, we thank you." He bowed his head for a moment. Morgana felt Sirius shaking with laughter at her side. "One minority of you, I made a promise to. I promised that I would proclaim your superiority to the entire school, once. Well, the entire school isn't here, but this is much more embarrassing. Morgana le Fay-" Morgana's heart stopped and she stiffened. "-Miss Morgana Caroline Antoinette Harmons le Fay. First, let me tell you, she is the girlfriend of the Prankster of Pranksters, Monsieur Sirius Orion Black, and she is beautiful, simply stunning. Come on up, here, Morgana!" Tears were streaming down Sirius' face which was beet red.

"James!" she growled, her eyes wide.

"Fine, I'll come down there!" He jumped the steps and pulled Morgana up by the hand. "Isn't she beautiful? Well, she helped me win the affections of that lovely red head you heard from earlier, Miss Lily Evans!" he grabbed Lily's hand and put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Both of these young women are extremely talented, caring, kind- they're just all around good people and you have to love both of them to death!" He kissed Morgana's cheek and Lily's lips.

"Paws off my woman, Prongs!" Sirius said loudly. James feigned nervousness.

"Quick, snap a fast one before he eats me!" James put both of his thumbs up as a few people snapped quick pictures. "Alright ladies, you can sit down. I'm bettin' Mom and Dad are pretty proud right now, right guys?" He looked to his parents- his father was chuckling and his mother looked a little bewildered. "Everybody loves me. Everybody loves you. Everybody loves everybody. Alright! On to the story! Point is, haha… The point is…" he was up at the podium once more. "These guys here are just… fantastic people. Everyone. The kids, the teachers, the ghosts, those random things in the Forbidden Forest- all of them are great! I'm devastated to leave because I know that nothing will be like the times I've spent here. Sure, some times will be better, some will be worse, others will be just as good- but they won't be Hogwarts. I've got the best friends in the world, the most amazing girl at my side, people supporting me… It's brilliant. I'd have nothing without this school. I will probably cringe at some memories years down the road, but I won't regret them. _Keep that in mind, it'll come in handy later- regret._ Anyway, thanks to the students sitting there for being great, thanks to the teachers for putting up with me all these years and throughout this ceremony (your time has been served, you're free to go), thanks to the parents for supporting us in every possible way. Thanks everyone. We love you. All you need is love, love, love. Thanks a zillion." There was very loud applause, a few people, including the Marauders and most of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw stood up, a few shouting and whistling as James hopped off the steps, heading back to his seat to kiss Lily gently.

"Well, thank you, Mr. Potter, for that colorful speech. It kept us very entertained, that's for sure. No one will forget it for a while," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "Now, though, we have to hand out your diplomas. Please come up when I call your name." He called a few people up before Sirius left Morgana's side and got his. He managed to get a hug from McGonagall, a high-five from Slughorn, and a fist-punch from Flitwick, much to the Marauders' amusement. It seemed like an eternity before Morgana was called up.

"Morgana le Fay," Dumbledore said. There was mild applause and she could hear Steve shouting encouragement and whistling loudly, much to her amusement. There were several other people giving whooping shouts as well. She walked forward and shook Dumbledore's hand. "Congratulations, Miss le Fay. You've done excellently."

"Thank you, sir." She moved down to shake hands with the professors.

"Congratulations, Morgana, I'm proud to have had you in my house." The Transfiguration teacher's eyes were full of sincerity and pride. Morgana smiled warmly and shook her hand firmly.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I'm proud to have been in your house."

"Wonderful job, Miss le Fay! I will certainly miss you in class! Congrats!"

"Thanks, Professor Slughorn. I'll miss your classes."

"Wonderful job, Miss le Fay! You did a wonderful job! Good luck!"

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick. You were fantastic." One by one, she made it through all the teachers, her response was the same and generic after the first few, but they didn't care. There were many more hands to shake after hers. Everybody seemed to be in a generous mood. Usually, James would not have gotten away with his speech.

_'I suppose it is a special circumstance…'_ she thought, absentmindedly. She sat back down next to Sirius, he kissed her cheek.

"I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you, too," she said to him. "I love you." He kissed her lips quickly.

"You too, love." They sat and watched everyone else go up and get their diplomas. When the last one was handed out, Dumbledore turned back to face everyone.

"Now, if you would all join me in singing our school song to the tune of your favorite song." He magicked a silver ribbon and it formed the words of the song. Morgana began singing to a Beatles song while James and Sirius sang (or rather, shouted) along to 'John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.'

'_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something, please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot.'_

The headmaster wiped his eyes. "Music is an unknown magic that cannot be fully understood. Now, I ask our _former_ students to stand and turn once more. These are the 1978 graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I wish all of you the best of luck in your future quests." The crowd began to clap, shouting and whistling. Once the applause died down, Dumbledore spoke again. "Please turn. You may leave." They began to walk back down the aisle, still with their partners from before. Morgana joined Benjy Fenwick who was practically bouncing with excitement. She saw her mother dabbing at her eyes and Steve letting out whooping shouts while her father whistled. Once again, she smiled and winked at them. They made it to the end of the aisle when Sirius came up behind her. She could feel the tears streaming down her face and saw that Sirius' eyes looked a little wet, shimmering as he looked at her.

"It's over," she whispered.

"Only one chapter. Not even a chapter. This was just the cover-no, the title! You've got a long way to go, yet, babe!"

"It feels like we just got here! I still feel like I have so much to say!" Sirius laughed as James came up behind him, chuckling.

"Well, we've got only four little words to say to everyone, right Prongs?"

"I believe that is correct, Mr. Padfoot."

"And they would be?" Morgana asked, knowing something exciting was bound to happen.

_"REGRET NOTHING, DENY EVERYTHING!"_ they bellowed. The moment they finished, there were huge explosions and the Great Hall was lit with different colored fireworks- pinwheels, sparklers, everything. At the front, there were silver, sparkling letters that said _"Class of '78." _Morgana began to laugh, still crying, while Lily smiled sadly as tears flowed down her face.

"I'm going to miss this."

"Me too. But we've got the rest of our lives to see their displays. They just won't be here, Lils."

"Come on, let's go by your parents." They set off, James and Sirius following behind, admiring their work.

"Peeves'll be here any second."

"You know it."

"I think we should have added a bit more BANG! to it, don't you think?"

"There are elderly here, Mr. Prongs, we don't want to be responsible for any heart attacks."

"Very true." Morgana and Lily rolled their eyes.

"There's my girl!" Steve shouted, waving to Morgana. She closed the rest of the distance by running and he hugged her, her feet lifting off of the ground for a moment. "You look so beautiful tonight, Ana…"

"Thanks, Steve. I appreciated the shouting, by the way."

"I knew you would," he chuckled. He let her go just as her mother let Lily go. Both of Morgana's parents hugged her tightly.

"We're so proud."

"I know, Mom." They let her go, beaming at her.

"Sirius!" Steve boomed.

"Steve, my man!" They slapped hands and embraced in what could only be called a _'man-hug.'_

"Excellent work with the teachers, Sir. Excellent."

"Thanks!"

"James Potter?" Steve asked, turning to James. He grinned wickedly.

"The one and only."

"Excellent speech. You two were in on the fireworks?"

"Naturally."

"Beautiful. You guys did really well on it. Great job!"

"Thanks!"

"When I was here, we had a few pranks, but fireworks weren't what they are now, you know? Once I set one off in Divination. The smoke from those crystal balls really added to the effect." James and Sirius exchanged dawning looks.

"Why didn't we think of that?!" Sirius shouted. "That would have been perfect! They would have had to buy new ones too!" James shook his head.

"Idiots. How could we be so blind?"

"Can't do everything, gents, there just aren't enough fireworks," Steve gravely assured them.

"Honey," Morgana's mother said. "We have to get going. Your dad and I have to work tomorrow and it takes a while to get back, what with the anti-Apparation charm on the house, right now."

"That's fine, guys. I don't think most people are staying, either. I'll see you the day after tomorrow anyway."

"Alright, Peanut, we love you."

"Love you too, Dad. See you in a few days." She kissed her parents and they said their goodbyes to everyone, Morgana's mother kissing Sirius' forehead.

"We'll be seeing you! Bye!"

"Bye!" They walked out of the doors and disappeared in moments.

"I should probably leave too, baby girl," Steve said, giving Morgana a one-armed hug. Steve had become a very strong father figure since he started living in Tar's house. He and Morgana wrote back and forth constantly, he and Sirius got along very well too.

"Alright. I'll come over when I get back, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you in a few."

"Bye."

"Love you, Ana. You have fun."

"You too. Bye." He squeezed her shoulder and vanished after her parents.

"Do you want to go outside?" Lily asked James.

"Sure, let's all go." She smiled.

"Sounds good." They began walking towards the crowd, leaving Sirius and Morgana alone.

"The fireworks _are_ amazing, Sir." He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Sirius! Sirius Black!" He turned and his face lit up.

"Uncle Alphard!" A feeble looking old man was coming towards him, leaning on a cane. Sirius hurried towards him and bent down a bit to give the man a one-armed hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Today's a good day. Very good day."

"That's great! You look better."

"I wouldn't miss your graduation for anything. I figured no one else would come, so it was safe for me to attend." His eyes, still alert, scanned the faces that Sirius had been standing around. His gaze fell upon Morgana. "Is this that young woman you were telling me about?" Sirius looked over at Morgana, his eyes lighting up.

"This is her. This is Morgana, Uncle Al. Morgana, this is my Uncle Alphard, one of the good ones." She stepped forward, smiling brightly.

"Hello, sir." He shook her hand.

"She's even more stunning than you told me, Sirius."

"Words don't do her justice."

"I heard that you are going to be an Auror." Morgana nodded.

"Yes… my father is and I've always wanted to become one."

"It's a very honorable profession. Very difficult, but very respected. I knew a few Aurors, not very well, but I knew them. Very good people. You have to do excellent in school and have high endurance. But I heard that you helped win the Quidditch Cup, this year. And that you have remarkable grades, so I imagine you will do well." She blushed scarlet.

"She's too modest for your flattery, Al." The old man chuckled as Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, she blushed even brighter.

"I think she's too modest for anyone's anything, son. Sirius, were those your fireworks?"

"Yep!" he said proudly, puffing out his chest. "James and I worked on those for about five months. Had to make sure that they didn't go off in the dorm."

"Five months, eh?" he eyed both of them, putting things together. "Was that from October to February?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Figured out our plans, James bought them, we put everything in order."

"Very nice display, pass that on to James."

"Gladly." Alphard rummaged around in his inside coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"I know I already gave you money, but I think you should get something at your ceremony. Besides, you'll be needing all the help you can get now that you're out of school." Sirius took the envelope.

"Thanks, Al! I really appreciate it! You don't have to keep doing all this, though."

"Who else will I spend it on? I'm old, Sirius, you've got a lot of time ahead of you to spend money on." He turned to Morgana. "Make sure that he buys you something nice with that, honey."

"Don't worry, she'll be taken care of quite well," Sirius said. Alphard nodded.

"Well, I better get going. I've got my pills to take, it's hell getting old. Goodbye, Sirius."

"Bye, Al. See you in a few days." He squeezed the old man's shoulder.

"Goodbye, Morgana. It was more than a pleasure to meet you."

"The same to you," she gave him a quick hug.

"Congratulations to you both," he said, walking away. Sirius watched him go, grinning, his arm on Morgana's shoulder and her arm around his waist.

"One of the few good people from my childhood. He hated Walburga after he found out what she did to me." Morgana gently grazed the spot where she knew the scar ran from when his mother pushed him down the stairs. He involuntarily shuddered. "I remember when I showed you that… The look in your eyes… I hate her just for making your eyes look that desperate." She kept her hand on the place where the scar would be under his shirt.

"I worried about you so much. Every day of the summer I was so worried…" She felt one more tear slip from her eye.

"Don't cry any more about it. It's over now. Do you want to go outside?" She nodded, clutching his shirt, her eyes shut as she held back the tears. He led her outside, taking her down to the shore of the lake where the sun was almost completely down. "Your feet must hurt in those heels." Before she could answer, he had scooped her up and was carrying her down to the lake, humming tunelessly.

"I'm fine now, I'm not crying, I swear."

"I don't want you to have foot problems down the road."

"What about back problems for you?"

"You're too light to do any sort of harm." He brought her down a bit farther and set her down on the sand, carefully undoing the buckle on her shoes and setting them aside. By now, the sun was only a pale green line in the distance; the sky was getting very dark very quickly. "You look like an angel," he murmured, propping himself up on his elbow, next to Morgana.

"You looked great today. I've never seen you all dressed up." He shook his head and lay on his back.

"This isn't about me." She took his hand and traced the lines on his palm, running two fingers up his arm to stroke his face. He sighed and closed his eyes, perfectly still. She relaxed and lay next to him, watching his profile. She couldn't be sure whether he was asleep or not. Once the moon was fairly high, she kissed his cheek and stood up, walking to the edge of the lake. She looked up at the stars and the moon and then at their reflections in the lake. She just stood there, staring until Sirius came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's so perfect, like there are two skies. Look at the moon…"

"When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore…" Sirius sang. She held his arms.

"The song _Clair de Lune_ was inspired by a poem that, in English, translates to _Moonlight_."

"Learn something new everyday… You look like moonlight right now… or maybe a star. Perfect, silver, glowing, shimmering- you are otherworldly." She sighed. "I know, you hate me saying that and complimenting you, but… I can't help it. I'm sorry for complimenting you."

"Apology accepted." She turned around and he picked her up, spinning her around. The bottom of her dress gently grazed the water and sent droplets cascading across the surface, breaking it's perfect serenity.

"I remember, after Tar passed… you were so… and we came down here and you fell in the lake and… when you got out, you were you again." She smiled.

"When I fell in, I could have sworn that I felt two hands on my back, pushing me in. I had a good footing on those rocks and I just… fell. It was like she was telling me to pull it together, to wake up. I thought that if I could still have some way for her to be there, then maybe it wasn't so bad. She wouldn't be in pain anymore, but she would always be with me. I was still angry that she died and that I couldn't have a normal conversation or anything with her anymore, but it made it a bit better."

"Steve rocks."

"Yeah, Steve does_ rocketh_ pretty hard."

"Was Tar like Steve?"

"Pretty much. Both of them joked a lot and… they were a lot alike."

"I really wish I could have met her before."

"I do too. But, Steve's still here. He's kind of like meeting a male version of Tarla. I think it's still really hard on him, but he's doing pretty well. He loved her so much."

"I can't imagine losing you… he's pretty strong."

"He is. I think that if something happened to me, you'd be like him. He still had people to talk to and to help him through it, just like you."

"I don't even want to think about it." She felt him tighten his hold. "I will make sure nothing happens to you. I promise."

**OxO**

"I'm going to miss the train rides…" Lily said, sitting down next to James. The train was slowly leaving the station, in a few minutes, Hogwarts would fade away. Sirius and Morgana sat across from James.

"Which car are we in?" Morgana asked suddenly.

"Three, I think. Why?" James answered. She got up and walked into the corridor, pointing her finger. A few moments later, she came back in.

"This is where we first met." Sirius blinked and looked at the ground, his eyes wide. "Imagine what it would be like to be this compartment. Two people walk in, strangers. A few minutes later, another stranger walks in, a girl. They talk and get to know each other. They finally leave. Seven years later, they come back. The girl is dating one of the guys and the other guy is dating a girl that he met in that compartment too…" They were silent.

"It's really over…" James said. "We're never going back as students." Lily covered her mouth with her hand, James put his arms around her and she cried softly into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I was so horrible to you… We could have had so much time there…"

"I was the idiot, Lily. You had every right to be horrible to me, I was a git to everyone, especially you. Blame me, not you." Morgana looked away to the corridor, giving them their space. A few students passed, badges gleaming on their chests.

"Guys? Do you have to go to the Prefects' Compartment?" Lily gasped and straightened up immediately.

"Hurry! We'll be back in a bit!" They slid the door shut behind them.

"Well, she got a hold of herself pretty quickly."

"Yeah," Morgana said absently, sitting down next to him. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Of course. But I loved you before I knew your name. When you ran me over on the platform and you rolled your eyes at me… I just fell for you. It was so perfect, but I couldn't understand it. Then, when you came into the compartment, I noticed your eyes. You have honest eyes, you can tell that you're a good person. Then I understood it: I fell for your eyes. I knew who you were when I looked into them and I knew that I needed whoever you were."

"It took me a bit longer. When we had our Charms class and you got hit with the corner of that book… you had me check out your head and I just remember saying that we needed to take you to the Hospital Wing and you turned around… we were so close. You said 'Is that truly necessary?' and then I poked you and you yelped and we went to the Hospital Wing. That's when I knew that you would be something more to me than just a friend. There was so much energy, then. But I knew that I would never be happy unless I was with you when I had to leave you for Christmas. I think that I loved you from the start but… I was too blind."

"Remember when we had our first kiss?"

"December 23rd… what a night. How about when I first talked to you about Remus' furry little problem?"

"Then when we got the potion ingredients."

"It seems like so long ago."

"Why did you date Remus and Matt?"

"I thought that I could make it a bit easier on myself since it looked like you would never grow up. Remus was mature and Matt was older… they were already grown up."

"I was so pissed at Remus when he asked you out. I didn't think I could ever speak to him again."

"I can't get over your mother pushing you down the stairs…"

"When you touched the cut, I felt so safe. For the first time in months, someone had contact with me that wasn't harmful." She reached out and lifted his shirt to see the scar, still easy to distinguish. She kissed it and covered the scar with her hand, Sirius moved her so that she could sit on his lap, her hand still under his shirt.

"I want to kill her for what she did to you," she said fiercely through gritted teeth, her voice thick with tears. "I want her to suffer for every cruel thing she did." He buried his face in her hair and let out a ragged breath. "Are you alright?"

"I just realized how much you have me wrapped around your finger… It's insane, really," he said, his voice low. She grinned widely at him. "Cheeky little monkey."

"Proud of it. Monkeys are awesome."

"Are you tired?"

"A bit."

"Go to sleep." She shook her head.

"I don't want to miss our last train ride! Especially since we're in the same compartment we met in!"

"How did that even pop into your head?"

"I noticed that it was just us four- Remus off with Allie, Peter talking to Benjy, Chris with Laurel. They weren't in our compartment when we met. Lily came down at one point, but she was only here for part of it. The three of us… It just seemed a bit Déjà vu-y so I just thought we'd find out what compartment we're in."

"These seats seemed so much bigger then…"

"Do you remember when we fell asleep with our backs to each other?"

"How did we even get in that position?"

"No clue. I just remember that Lily was here when we woke up."

"I remember when you got ten points that first day after you vanished the juice I knocked over."

"What about when you said I was probably a Seer? How far off were you!"

"Then you guessed my middle name." She put the hand that wasn't still covering the scar up to his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Sirius Orion Black… you S.O.B."

"A lucky one at that. When you told me your birthday, I couldn't believe that you were younger than me. You seemed too mature."

"A middle-aged eleven year old?"

"Definitely."

"All I could think about when I found out what day your birthday was, was how I could learn a spell to heal burns. The way you and James were headed, I figured that there would be third degree burns from the candles on the cake!"

"It was likely…" he chuckled. Neither said anything else. A few minutes later, Morgana was asleep on his lap, breathing deeply. Her face was still the same as it had been in their first year when she had fallen asleep. Sirius sighed and magicked a pillow, trying to lay both of them on the seat. He could tell that, even in her sleep, she would not take her hand from his side. He pressed himself as far into the seat as he could, the two of them somehow managing to fit fairly comfortable on the seat. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

He woke up about a half hour later. Morgana had slid down a bit and had now snuggled her head into the spot on his chest near the base of his throat. A few minutes later, he felt her lashes blink open.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to sleep," she grumbled.

"It was a half hour, I fell asleep too."

"Are you staying with James?"

"I guess so. He told me he talked to his parents on the way out of graduation, introduced them to Lily. I'll come over this week sometime, don't worry."

"I want you to be there when… when I tell my parents that I'm in the Order."

"I'll be there. I'll call too; I have to teach James how to use the telephone if he wants to call Lily." James and Lily returned a little while later; everyone else showed up a few minutes after that. They spent the rest of their time reminiscing and racing chocolate frogs.

"Guys… the train's stopping," Chris said finally. Remus and Allie exchanged shocked expressions, Peter dropped what he had been holding, Lily froze on James' lap, Sirius stopped arguing with Morgana about which frog won. No one moved.

"I guess we should clean up, then," Sirius said after a minute. They took care of all the chocolate frogs and sorted out who had someone's bag.

"We've got to go get our stuff from the other compartments. See you, guys," Remus said. He hugged Lily and then hugged Morgana, kissing her cheek. He and Peter did some weird handshake with Sirius and James while the girls said goodbye, and then they left. James got the trunks down from the luggage rack and they made their way out to the platform, waving to Benjy. Mary and Marlene ran up to them, hugging each of them

"We'll miss you guys so much next year!" Marlene said, embracing Morgana.

"Feel free to write if you want."

"Definitely. We'd better head off. Congrats! Have a nice summer!"

"Thanks, you too." Once they left, Morgana and Lily stood in front of the boys.

"We'd better get going too," Lily said sadly, looking back at Morgana's parents on the crowded platform.

"Bye, James," Morgana said softly, hugging him, she kissed his cheek.

"See ya, Morgana, you'll be getting calls from the Potter house."

"Excellent." She let go of him just as Lily let go of Sirius. Lily and James kissed.

"I love you so much, Lily…"

"I love you too." Sirius and Morgana grinned at each other. He pulled her to him, kissing her softly.

"Sir…"

"You'll see me in a few days, I'll even call tonight, you know James'll want to talk to Lily."

"I love you."

"I love you too, babe…" She hugged him and finally let go when the train whistle blew once more. He kissed her forehead and handed her trunk to her, Lily at her side. The two pairs walked in opposite directions.

"They better call tonight!" Lily said after a long silence. Morgana laughed, what would she do without Lily?

**A/N:** That was _the_ chapter. I pretty much forgot all about Quidditch so I had to put that in. I stayed up until about 2 A.M. last night and finished it up this morning. I know- it was long. Not quite as long as the chapter before last, but still very close to it. Let's see… All links to pictures of what I thought the graduation dresses looked like can be found in my profile. I've got Morgana, Lily, Chris, and Allie. Most of the colors are different from the pictures. I figured that wizards and witches would dress up a bit more for graduation than muggles since that might be their only one. So, that's why the dresses are a bit fancier. Um… yeah. Thanks to all my readers, reviewers, favers, alerters- all y'all. You rock. I'm going to miss writing about Hogwarts… BUT the new chapter will be pretty fun to write too. You know the drill. Thanks all!


	17. Milestones

**A/N:** Chapter 16 has been posted! Huzzah! It's a wonderful feeling. Well, that was a really long chappie (trying not to do that again) because it was such a huge point in their story. They had to leave the place where everything started. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? You know it!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. So little that it's shameful. My ancestors are rolling in their graves at the non-owning nerdiness of me.

**Warning:** Swearing. It will come. We're not talking F-bombs, we're not talking those s dot, dot, dot hits. Just… fairly mild stuff, as usual. Oh, and there will be some talk of alcohol. Don't drink and drive, friends.

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Chapter 17- Milestones

"Sirius!" Morgana exclaimed, opening her front door. A second later, his lips were locked onto hers.

"Guys…Guys?" Morgana pulled away from Sirius.

"Sirius, James would like to see Lily." He moved so that James could come in. "Come on, I'll show you where she is." She led James up the stairs and knocked on the door across from hers.

"Come in…" Morgana opened the door and James walked in. She heard Lily exclaim, "James!" and saw her run forward to hug him before Morgana turned back to Sirius.

"I thought you said that you would see us in a few days! Not weeks! Lily and I told my parents about the Order!"

"I'm sorry, we've had a lot going on. How'd your parents take it?"

"At first? Not so well, but they're comfortable with it now. Well, as much as you are, at least. They're at the grocery store."

"Sorry." She shrugged and eyed his appearance.

"Sunglasses, leather jacket, boots…" he began turning slowly for her. "Pants that are probably stopping what little blood flow went to your head… what's with you?"

"Bought some new clothes. I needed them. I loaded up on jeans, shirts, everything. What? You don't like it?" he asked, noticing the look on her face.

"No! I like it. I like it a lot."

"Especially the pants?"

"Especially the pants," she said absently, humoring him. "But you must have blown through all of your graduation money. Shouldn't you have spread it out?" He laughed.

"Morgana… the Black fortune is huge. Uncle Alphard is wealthier than my parents… than all of my family combined. The money he gave me after the ceremony is enough to buy a decent house, a fair car, and appliances. The money he gave me **before** the ceremony is even more."

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about money anymore."

"Not in the slightest."

"My room?"

"After you, m'dear." Morgana smiled and took his hands, walking backwards to her room. She sat down on the bed, Sirius sitting next to her, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Merlin, I missed you…"

"Twenty days… I haven't seen you in twenty days…" She said nothing, merely dragging her fingers across his palm. "I have something for you whenever you're done with my hand… Not that I want you to stop…"

"I can pick up where I left off…" She let his hand go and he reached inside his jacket, pulling out a long, thin package wrapped in silver, a black ribbon tied on it. He handed it to her and she tore through the paper, revealing black velvet. She snapped the box open and her eyes lit up.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful…" she grazed her fingers along the silver chain of the necklace to the pendant. It was shaped into a series of hearts, gaps in between each separate heart as they got smaller towards the middle- hearts within a heart. Each heart had diamonds embedded in it.

"It's platinum. Real diamonds, real everything... I told you I'd get you something nice."

"I don't know what to say…" she gently removed it from the box, opening the clasp. "Will you put it on me?" He nodded and she turned around. He brushed his fingertips along her collarbone and slowly closed the clasp.

"There." She leaned back against his chest, resting her head between his neck and shoulder.

"Thank you… It's… amazing…" He put his arms around her tightly. Morgana breathed in; he smelled like leather and something else warm and comforting that she couldn't quite place. "It's beautiful." They sat there for a few minutes, not saying a word. Morgana heard a grumble.

"Was that your stomach?" she asked.

"Guess so, I didn't think I was hungry."

"Do you want me to make you something?"

"I can eat later. I'll cook then." She raised an eyebrow.

"There's bound to be food somewhere in here. You know how to use a stove?" He shrugged.

"How hard could it be?"

"I think I'd better cook. We'll teach you the fine culinary arts another day."

"If you insist."

"Should we tell the other two, or should we just leave them?" Sirius frowned.

"James is probably starving. I ate last night, he didn't."

"Well, we should check on them first." He smirked.

"Don't want to interrupt them?"

"Not in the slightest." He grinned and gestured for her to follow. He tiptoed to Lily's door and put his eye near the key hole, she saw the other eye widen and he silently jumped up, pulling her down the stairs. "What?" she whispered when they reached the kitchen.

"Serious snogfest up there- I'm not interrupting that. Prongs would eat me, then kill me."

"Well, then we're not telling them about lunch. What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever, I'm not picky."

"I'm not a great cook, but… there should be something here. We weren't completely out of groceries…" She began to rummage around the refrigerator. "Hamburger… asparagus… um…"

"I'm not that hungry, I can wait."

"Are you sure? I could find something in the freezer, maybe-"

"I haven't seen you in about three weeks. I think my stomach can wait a while." She shrugged and closed the refrigerator door. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Sure. I'll leave a note for them." He watched her exit the kitchen and walk through the dining room, turning into a room to the right. She returned a moment later with a sheet of scrap paper and a marker.

_Hey guys, Sir and I went for a walk, be back in a few. M_

"There," she said, setting the marker on top of the paper. "Let me grab some muggle money from my purse and we'll be good to go." Again, he watched her disappear into the dining room, rummaging around for a minute, and returning, shoving a few bills into the front pocket of her jeans, a key on a ring was dangling from her finger. He followed her out of the backdoor, locking it and walking to the front yard. He slipped his hand into hers, giving it a quick squeeze. She smiled and continued walking.

"Morgana!" he heard a small voice call. She turned her head to the right at the same time he did. A little girl with caramel-colored hair was running towards them, her brown eyes shimmering.

"Nat!" Morgana exclaimed. Sirius let go of her hand and the little girl jumped into her arms. Morgana straightened and kissed her forehead. "What are you up to, girlie?"

"Chalk."

"Chalk? Can I see?"

"Sure!" The child pointed a short finger to where she had come from, a man and a woman sitting on the stairs.

"Let's go check it out." Nat ducked rested her chin on Morgana's shoulder, innocently looking at Sirius. He smiled at her and she grinned shyly at him. Morgana carried her over to the couple and sat her down on the sidewalk in front of them. "Those are some pretty cool flowers, Nat."

"Thanks!" she smiled up at Morgana and then continued to stare at Sirius. "Can you write his name for me?"

"Sure, hon." Morgana picked up a piece of blue chalk and neatly wrote _Sirius_. "Can you sound it out?" The girl furrowed her brow in thought.

"Sur… eye… us… Like a knight?! Sir Ius?!" Morgana laughed, ruffling Nat's hair.

"Not quite. It sounds like 'serious,' it's just spelled a different way." She thought about it a moment and looked between Sirius and his name on the sidewalk before holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Natalie Rachael Mandel." Sirius shook her small hand.

"Hello, Natalie. I'm Sirius Orion Black." Her eyebrows knitted together and she looked over at Morgana.

"He's named after two stars!" Morgana whispered; her brown eyes widened as she looked back at Sirius.

"Wow… I'm named after my grandmas. Does someone have your name?" Sirius nodded.

"I knew a man that had the same name as me, Orion."

"What happened to him?" Sirius' eyes darkened and he stiffened.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Mandel!" Morgana said brightly, switching the subject. She tugged on Sirius' hand and walked over to the two people who were now standing up.

"Hello, Morgana," Mr. Mandel said.

"Sirius, these are Nat's parents. They moved here- oof!" Natalie ran into Morgana's leg. The older girl seemed unfazed and picked her up. "They moved her just after term began so I just met them about three weeks ago. Mandels, this is my boyfriend, Sirius." Sirius shook hands with both of them, exchanging quick greetings.

"You go to the same school as Morgana, I take it?"

"Yep, we were in the same house (kinda like a section) since we were eleven."

"Do you live around here?"

"We're a bit farther out." Morgana knew that the Potters were at least a two and a half hour muggle drive from her house. "I've lived with my best friend's family for the past few years. He and I stopped by to see Morgana and Lily for the day." Morgana let Natalie run off to play on the sidewalk again.

"What about your parents?" Mrs. Mandel's eyes widened when she realized what she had said. "I'm sorry, it's not my place. Your family is probably-"

"No, that's okay. They were…" he faltered, trying to find the right words.

"They were both abusive and cruel to Sirius. He ran away when he was sixteen."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Sirius! It's for the best that you left."

"Well, I guess you can't have everything. I'm in good health, I've got my best friends, I've got a great uncle, and I've got the best girl in the world. Bad parents just even it all out." Morgana gave his hand an appreciative squeeze.

"It sounds like you're doing alright, Sirius."

"I try to."

"We'd better let you kids get along to where ever you were going."

"Okay. Have a nice day!" Morgana smiled.

"You too, dear." They turned and walked down the path to the sidewalk.

"Okay, kiddo, I'll see you later," Morgana said to Natalie. The girl jumped up from the sidewalk and hugged Morgana's legs. Sirius saw Morgana's face light up as she looked down at the little girl. She bent down and gave her a hug, her eyes hinting a love that Sirius had never seen them hold before.

"Bye, Morgana. Bye, Sirius." Sirius smiled down at her as Morgana let go and stood up next to Sirius. They made it to the end of the block in silence.

"She's a cute kid," he said at the cross walk.

"I'm so sorry about the questions, Sir."

"It's not a problem. I can't avoid it- everyone has parents. There are bad people in the world; I just got stuck with two as a Mum and Dad. And shouldn't it be Sir Ius?" he added with a smirk. She laughed.

"Nat's at that age when she wants you to write everything out. She loves to sound out words. She's such a good little girl, very sweet. I really am sorry, though." He shook his head, his shaggy hair flopping around.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I plan on seeing them again. They're just… a bad part of my past that couldn't accept anything reasonable. They hated my friends, they hated my house, they hated my decisions, they hated me, they hated you. Everything I stood for, they despised."

"You shouldn't have had to go through that." He felt her press her free hand to his side. Touching the scar had become almost a ritual whenever his parents were brought up or if his temper ever flared.

"That wasn't your fault."

"I should have known better than to hug you in front of your parents, especially your mother."

"If I remember correctly, you did more than hug. I got a kiss on the cheek. One of many to come," he told her, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"How much did you have to go through that summer because of me?" He sighed.

"Where's the nearest place to eat?" She gave him a bewildered look.

"Turn left and then right on the next block, midway through and keep going straight. Why?"

"If you're going to insist on talking about this, I want a full stomach." Two hot dogs and a bag of chips later, Sirius and Morgana were walking farther from her home.

"Well?"

"At first, my parents tried to ignore it. At least, they didn't talk to me about you right away. About a week into break, they started asking me about you like you saw. Who were you? How could I possibly consider sinking to such a level? How pure was your blood? It wouldn't have mattered how pure you were anyway, look at Andromeda, she's banished from the family like me. Pure blood and descendent of an ancient sorceress? Great! Welcome to the family! Gryffindor? Go to hell. I told them that I would never stop being friends with you. You were my family and the family that I saw you in- you, James, Remus, Peter, Lily- was the most important thing to me in the world. She started getting more and more agitated and I kept pressing it, which wasn't the wisest move, you were thinking it, I'm saying it. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I couldn't just let it go… What you saw was the first real outburst. After that, she got violent a few times, but not nearly that bad… Mostly it was verbal after that. She even threatened me using you. She would send someone to hurt you if I kept associating with you. The closer I got, the more danger you would be in. That was the main reason I didn't talk to you for the first few weeks. Some nights, after you went to bed, I would go down and sleep in the Common Room and keep watch. She didn't stop at you either. The Marauders all got threats, you, even Lily once."

"You kept watch?"

"Some nights, yeah. I'd stay up a lot and couldn't go to sleep because every sound that I heard downstairs, even if it was a cracking log in the fire or someone coughing in the next dorm… I thought it was Bellatrix." She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked, turning a corner. "It was worth it."

"What were you busy with these past few weeks?"

"Always curious aren't you?" She said nothing. "Dumbledore was talking to us about a few things, had us run an errand or two."

"Like?"

"Trying to find a headquarters," he said quietly, the noise from the cars almost completely drowning him out.

"How'd that go?"

"Not too well. Some places can't be secured, others are too small, even if they're altered. He wants us to start meeting up, but with more than nine new members-"

"Nine?!"

"The eight of us, Benjy Fenwick, and a few others he didn't tell us."

"Frank's over with Auror training, right?"

"Yeah, he managed to get through it quicker than they thought. Course, they don't get too many new Aurors, so it's hard to figure out how long training would be. Had to know Frank would get finished quickly."

"He's bright, strong, determined- he's perfect Auror material."

"And you are too." She smiled up at him and then looked back down.

"Dad says that they're upping training time. Aurors have to put in at least three years, they're thinking. Frank got in just in time. Of course, the way things are going, who knows when I'll get into training. I could be thirty by the time this is all over. Then again, for the same reasons, who's going to bother with more training for the Aurors? Right now, we need all we can get."

"It won't last that long. A few years, I'd say."

"How many people could die in a few years? How many people already have their days numbered?"

"Loads. An unbelievable amount. But not you. Not any of us. We'll make it through all of this."

"It's the calm before the storm."

"Storms always clear up. Love, every bad thing passes soon enough- there's always some form of release, and then things turn good again." She felt tears sting at her eyes and she pinched her tear ducts.

"No matter what happens… I…"

"I know," he said softly, slipping his arm around her waist. "Not much is safe anymore, love. But you are._ I_ will keep you safe. Save your goodbyes for when we're a hundred and eighteen and we go to sleep together for the last time." They walked another block in silence.

"When do you have to leave again?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?! When will you be back?"

"Three weeks at the most, we hope. It's the last time we'll be gone for that long for a while."

"Will you stay over tonight, at least?"

"I'll do whatever you want. Except not go tomorrow; that I _have_ to do."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll call whenever I get a chance. I'll try to write too." She looked down. "I know it's hard, but that's what we signed up for. I'll be back soon enough. There are just some things that James and I are very useful for." She nodded. "Have you seen Peter or Remus yet?"

"They were over here a few days ago."

"Yeah, we talked to them about a week ago. Dumbledore's got them doing a few things too." Her forehead wrinkled and her voice became frustrated.

"Does everyone get to do something except Lily and me?"

"We're the only four that he's put to work so far. Don't worry, you'll get stuff too. He's just trying to spread things around." She sighed.

"Stay safe."

"There's not all that much risk in what we're doing right now, sweetheart."

"But there's some?"

"Of course. Compared to what we could be doing, there's not much risk."

"But in truth, there is a lot of risk?" He didn't answer.

"What do you want to do tonight?"

"_Diamonds are Forever_ is on TV," she said dully.

"That is…?"

"A muggle spy movie. You probably never heard of James Bond."

"I have, but I haven't seen the movies."

"They're really good. I've seen all of them."

"I'd like to watch it." She gave a small smile and he knew that even Sean Connery wouldn't get her to change the subject yet. "This is why I was gone before."

"But I didn't know that."

"This is what we took on when we agreed to join."

"I know but… I didn't think it would be so sudden. The day after term ends…"

"I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll drop it. I'm just not used to the idea… Last time we weren't together, it was my fault, but I saw you everyday. Now… I won't."

"But you'll talk to me, hopefully, everyday. Will that work?"

"Better than nothing." She glanced up. "Looks like it'll rain…" He nodded. The sky, which had been bright earlier, was quickly turning a dark gray.

"We're almost there." They crossed the last street and walked halfway up the block before they walked into Morgana's house. Her parents were talking with Lily and James in the kitchen.

"Sirius! Good to see you!" Morgana's mother exclaimed as they entered the kitchen. She gave Sirius a brief hug before letting him shake her husband's hand; Sirius giving a quick _'Hello, sir,'_ before returning to Morgana's side.

"The four of us ate, but I could make you guys something."

"It's okay, mum. Sir and I ate at Nellie's."

"Oh, okay. We told Lily and James this, but your father and I are going to go out tonight and you kids can have the house to yourselves."

"Alright."

"Steve is coming over in…" she glanced at the clock. "He should have been here ten minutes ago, so he'll be here in about five minutes. He knew the guys were coming over and wanted to talk to them about pranks they pulled." Morgana saw Sirius' eyes brighten as he exchanged a grin with James.

"The ceremony was very interesting," Morgana's father told James and Sirius. Both bowed at the same time.

"Thank you! We live to serve!" James said grandly. Lily rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless. She opened her mouth to say something when they heard the back door slam. Steve stomped up the steps.

"Hey all," he said, putting a hand up in greeting. "Here's your rent, baby girl." He handed Morgana a check and she let out an exasperated sigh after seeing the figure. "What's more annoying: the amount of the check or your nickname from birth?"

"I'm used to the name. The amount is… idiotic."

"Well, I'm not using it, you might as well." She shook her head, but pocketed it when he gave her a look. "There's a girl." Within a few minutes, Sirius, James, and Steve were in the living room, roaring with laughter.

"Did Sirius tell you when they were leaving again?" Lily asked, her eyes dark. Morgana nodded.

"Tomorrow…"

"Is it alright if James stays tonight?"

"Like anyone here'll mind him. You know how Mom and Dad are... I wish he wouldn't have joined," Morgana said softly, watching the three in the living room. "It would have been so much easier if he had just let me join and let it go."

"They're not like that though. Neither of them could have sat by and let others fight."

"I said I wasn't going to say any more about it… I knew what we were getting into."

"Same here… I feel terrible saying anything because I don't want him to feel bad that he's leaving."

"They'll be okay. They watch the other's back more than they watch their own."

**OxO**

Sirius blinked at the dawn light pouring in the bedroom window.

"Morning."

"Hey…" he grumbled. "Leaving today."

"I know." He opened his eyes to see Morgana fully clothed, staring, unfocused, at his shoulder.

"What are you thinking?"

"How afraid I am for you." He sighed and kissed her nose.

"You worry too much, Lily too."

"You'll be fine, I know."

"Damn right, I will. Now, as much as I hate to, I really need to get ready to go." She nodded and got up as he rolled out of bed. Morgana made the bed as he got dressed quickly. "James up yet?"

"I don't think so. Lily's awake though."

"We're running a bit behind. Prongs!" he called, opening the door and fastening his belt. He quickly knocked on Lily's door before opening it. "Sorry, Lils, but we've got to get going. Oi! Prongs! Get up!" Morgana peeked into the room to see Sirius hitting James' sleeping form on the ground with a pillow.

"Already?" he grumbled.

"Yep. Now, up and at 'em!" James groggily reached for his bag and stumbled past Morgana to the bathroom.

"Mornin'," he yawned.

"You too." He gave her a thumbs up and shut the bathroom door, emerging a minute later.

"Lily? Did you see my glasses?"

"No. _Accio, glasses!_" she said, emerging with James' glasses which he shoved on his face.

"Thanks. Ready?"

"Yep!" Sirius said, walking to the stairs, holding Morgana's hand behind him.

"Hey, guys! What did you want for breakfast?" Morgana's mother asked.

"Sorry, Ms. le Fay, James and I have to leave right away."

"Oh, okay. We'll see you sometime this week then, I imagine?"

"Mum, I'll talk to you about it later," Morgana said, giving her mother a look.

"Bye, Mr. Harmons, Ms. le Fay."

"Thanks a lot! Pads and I'll be back as soon as we can."

"Take care!"

"Bye, boys." The four continued on to the front door. Morgana undid the bolt on the inside door and opened it, quickly unlocking the outside door and standing aside.

"Goodbye," she said quietly. He stared at her for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. "Stay safe, be careful…"

"I'll come back as soon as I can."

"I'll miss you." He grinned at her.

"Like I won't miss you. Smile! I need another one to dream about for a few weeks." She gave a weak grin before he kissed her, her grin broadening. "That's what I call a smile! Now, be good- don't get into trouble, don't do anything I'd do. I'll call whenever I can, I can try to write…"

"Just worry about your safety and getting home!"

"Of course. I love you."

"Same here," she replied, squeezing her arms around his neck. "I got you something too." He released her as he pulled something small and silver from her pocket before showing it to him- a key. "It's to this door. Whenever you get back and want to come over, no matter what time it is, come in."

"I will," he said quietly, moving his head to kiss her neck. "I'll be back before you know it." He pulled back, taking his hand in hers while James walked towards them.

"Bye, Morgana. Don't worry too much!" James turned to Sirius. "Ready?"

"As ever," he replied with a grin. Sirius kissed Morgana's fingers before following James out the door. Lily came to her side as the door clicked shut and they watched them walk toward an alley down the street. Sirius turned and walked backwards as he held up two fingers in a peace sign which Morgana returned, a half-hearted smile on her face, before he was out of sight.

"Well… that's that, then," Lily said, turning around and walking away. Morgana stood at the door a minute longer before walking up to her room. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, sliding down to sit on the floor and sighing. She knew that Sirius and James were looking for more than a headquarters for the Order, but she couldn't be completely sure of what they were looking for. Nevertheless, she had ideas…

Her eyes lingered on a pile of black fabric by the leg of her bed. She slowly stood and picked it up, holding it by the shoulders.

"You forgot your shirt…" she whispered, burying her face in it before dropping her hands and hugging it to her chest. She lowered herself onto the side of the bed that he always slept on, still cradling his t-shirt to her heart. She watched the clock on the opposite wall. He was one second farther from her, but one second closer to coming home. Now it was two… three… one minute… fifteen minutes…

Why? How come he had to leave right after term? Why did she have to wait weeks for him and spend one perfect day? She had been given heaven and had it snatched away in less than twenty-four hours. Now she would have to wait a few more weeks. Would he have to leave after that? He said no, but was he right? Was he lying? Did he really know? During the last few months at Hogwarts, she had grown so used to feeling his hand in hers, his breath on the back of her neck, his long fingers ruffling her hair as he smiled at her when she blushed scarlet. He was her anchor.

One hour and thirty-nine minutes. It was time to get up. She turned his shirt right-side-in before folding it carefully and setting it gently on the pillow he used, quietly leaving the room a moment later.

"Lily went over to see Nat. Do you want to go for a drive?" Morgana broke out of her daze to look at her father.

"You mean that you would use the actual car for something other than shopping?" She couldn't remember the last time her father had taken her on a car ride that wasn't involving a quick run for baby carrots.

"Yeah. I thought we could talk a bit. It'd be kind of fun." Now she was suspicious. Her dad was great, but, like a good majority of them, he didn't like to talk all that much unless it was surrounding a "manly man" topic.

"I would but…" She sighed and gave in when she saw her dad's expression. "Fine. Let's go." She slid on her flip flops and her dad grabbed the keys.

"Dad?" Morgana asked after about forty-five minutes on the road.

"Hm?"

"How do you really feel about… what I chose to do before training?" He sighed.

"I'm not crazy about it. If it were up to me, you wouldn't be in it, but I know that's what you want. I understand what you chose because it's what your mother and I would have chosen had we been able to. The work we did a few years ago was nothing compared to now. As silly as it may seem, I still see my little five year old in pigtails sometimes. It's ridiculous because you're capable and anything _but_ a five year old in pigtails, but it's because I'm your dad. You'll always be my little girl... even when you're a hundred and have great grandchildren." Morgana smiled.

"Love you too, Pops." He smiled back at her before looking back at the road.

"Sirius is genuinely in love with you."

"It's mutual."

"He's a decent kid."

"He's a good man. I think that he would do anything for me."

"I remember when you wouldn't speak to him a few years back…" he said with a smirk.

"He's done some growing up over the years."

"And then you two fought this past year…" he teased.

"But we made up quite well," Morgana said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

"How well?" he said, still joking with her. He lost his amused air when Morgana didn't answer. "Hon, at your age it's-"

"Woah, hold on a second, Pops. Mom went over this with me years ago. I really don't need to relive that experience. Once is enough." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin… I'm really glad you weren't a boy. Then I would have had to do it."

"Well, I'm pretty glad I wasn't I boy, too. Imagine Sirius and me!" Her father chuckled. They drove for another hour, joking and laughing, before they came to a quiet, peaceful-looking street. Morgana glanced up at the street sign.

"Dad, we're on Penny Lane!" Morgana gasped. "But we're not in Liverpool…" she added, frowning.

"Nope. It's a little town called Bralkinshire. Did you miss the sign?"

"Probably. Wow… I wish we had the camera. I'd take a picture of the street sign."

"I'd imagine this street was here before John wrote the song."

"Paul was the main writer, Dad. John helped a bit, but not as much as on other songs."

"Better be careful with all the attention you pay to John. Sirius'll get jealous." Morgana waved him off, taking in every inch of the street as he slowly drove down the road.

"Sirius knows John and I have been an item since I first laid eyes on him when I was a wee one. He completely understands."

"Nice houses down here."

"You've got that right. I don't even want to think about the price! Some of these shacks are huge!"

"Penny's a bit of an understatement…"

"You think?! Wow. They're starting to get a bit smaller though, look." A few larger-than-normal houses came into view. "I think these look nicer anyway. The other ones look way too pretentious. These are just… really nice." She began to hum _Penny Lane_ as her father glanced up and down the street. She pointed out a few houses to him and he nodded.

"Morgana?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you completely sure about the Order and then being an Auror?"

"More sure about it than anything else. I wish Sirius wouldn't have joined. It's one thing putting myself in danger, but him…"

"He would have joined anyway. Please, be careful. If anything happened to you-"

"Nothing will. I've got that Irish temper from Mum, remember? Nothing stops that."

"This is not a joke, Morgana."

"I know it's not, Dad. I knew that when I didn't see you or Mum for over a year! I knew that when I got a grand total of two letters from you because you were on the mission. I need to do this. I can't sit by and let all of these innocent people get killed!"

"All right, I just had to try. Let's keep on truckin'!" Morgana nodded as she continued to look out the window at the houses on Penny Lane.

**OxO**

Morgana was staring up at her ceiling, spread out on her bed. It was sweltering outside and her window was wide open, welcoming the breeze if it ever chose to show up. So far, it hadn't. By now, she was (reluctantly) wearing jean shorts and a tank top, hating the fact that so much of her skin was visible. She heard someone tapping at the door.

"For Merlin's sake, Lils, just come in. You don't need to knock." The redhead entered the room, shutting the door behind her and lying down in the space Morgana made for her on the bed.

"They should have been back two weeks ago, at the least. No contact in a month?"

"First off, I know. Secondly, they may be talking to Dumbledore, but are too busy to get a hold of us. Let's face it- they're doing more than looking for a headquarters."

"What if something went wrong?"

"Then… we'd know. We'd feel it."

"I'm sick of this war already. Alyssa's brother, your parents leaving, all those poor people disappearing, James and Sirius leaving- and it hasn't even started yet. We need things to change."

"Which is why we're having the war- to make things better."

"We need a revolution."

"We-ll you know… we all want to change the world…" Morgana sang. "Walked right into that one, man." Lily ignored her.

"Why does everyone need to fight anyway? Why are there so many prejudiced arses out there?! Look at Petunia!"

"Because people are sick pigs- sorry, I shouldn't insult the pigs, really. Bacon's not the problem."

"I wish they were back."

"You and me both. I want to talk to Dumbledore."

"I'd appreciate it if you did."

"We're not asking for them to drop what they're doing and come home we're just…"

"We just want to know if he's heard from them… if they're okay."

"Exactly."

"Should I write him?"

"I suppose. I don't know what he might be doing, so I'd write him. Make sure that if someone else opened it, they couldn't figure it out." Morgana went to her dresser and grabbed some parchment and a quill.

_Professor,_

_Hello. Hope your summer is enjoyable. L and I wondered if you had heard about Fido and Bambi yet. We hadn't heard anything from them since you last saw Poppy's puppy. Thank you._

_M_

"He'll recognize the owl. He gave it to my parents so that they would know who it was from; that was back in third year."

"Fido and Bambi?"

"Better than saying Sirius Orion Black and James William Potter, isn't it? That one's kind of a dead giveaway. I'm not really up for figuring out more creative code names."

"True. Poppy's puppy?"

"Remus. He's a wolf, hence the 'puppy', and spends how many days a month in the Hospital Wing with Madam (Poppy) Pomfrey. They wrote last during the full moon- last time Dumbledore saw Remus."

"Good one. Send it." Morgana rolled up the parchment and looked at the empty perch in the corner of her room.

"Probably outside yet…" She stuck her head out of the window. "Aristaeus?" Within a second the jet black owl had flown from the tree in their backyard to Morgana's room. "There you are. Take this to Professor Dumbledore. Stay there until he sends you back with a letter, okay?" The owl set his foot back down, hooting softly. "Make sure no one sees you. No people, got it?" Aristaeus blinked and flew off, quickly disappearing over the rooftops. "He's a fast owl; he'll be there before supper."

"Something about him… he just doesn't seem like he's fully owl."

"Knowing Dumbledore, probably not. The owl's never been seen either, even in broad daylight. He's probably Steve's animagus form." Lily laughed.

"I don't think he'd be an owl though. More like… a bear."

"Most likely. I haven't transformed in ages."

"I don't think I've ever seen you as a fox."

"Really? Would you like to?"

"Sure." A second later, a fox was sitting where Morgana had been, her tail wrapped around her paws. Lily gave a small gasp. "You have the same eyes, Ana. Aw… you're so cute! Very pretty." The fox nudged Lily with her nose before jumping down and running around the room, hopping over a neat pile of shirts and scampering under a desk. She jumped back onto the bed and Lily patted her snout gently. Morgana sneezed and rubbed her face with her paw. "Sorry." Morgana curled up onto a pillow and sighed, resting her head on her paws, staring up at Lily. "I wonder what I would be…" Morgana sat up as a human, completely normal again.

"I'm sure we could make more of the potion if you wanted."

"Nah. Too much trouble. I really like being a human, anyway." Morgana shrugged.

"Suit yourself. What's your patronus?"

"_Expecto Patronum!_" A silver figure burst out of Lily's wand which she promptly dropped upon seeing her charm. "That's not it! Before… when I cast it back at the beginning of sixth year, it was a… now it's…"

"Maybe you saw it wrong, you only had it for a second. Try it again." Lily firmly said the charm and the figure appeared once more, delicately walking around the room.

"Morgana… is that a doe?"

"_I'd_ say so. What was it before?"

"A foal… a little foal…"

"Maybe you saw it wrong. I mean, they're pretty similar." Lily shook her head, never taking her eyes off of the doe.

"I cast that charm loads of times and it was _clearly_ a foal. It was a baby horse, Ana, and now it's not. Why did it change?" Morgana frowned at the patronus that was looking Lily in the eyes.

"James… James is a stag, Lils. You match…" Lily hesitantly held out a hand to the doe and it came forward, extending its neck.

"She's beautiful…" she whispered, the doe glowed a little brighter before it flickered and disappeared as Lily lowered her wand. "Cast yours."

"_Expecto Patronum!_"

"Yours is a fox. Yours has always been a fox…"

"So is his…" Morgana said softly, tenderly watching the fox run around the same path that Morgana had a minute before. "I was his happy memory before he was mine… he cast the charm before I did. Either way, he was first; so, mine matches his."

"That means that I… But he told me…"

"It might be that he cast a patronus after you."

"I would think that he would have done that long before I had. And the foal…"

"Maybe, you cast your foal patronus before he did and then it changed. Maybe his was a foal at one point."

"If he was here, I could ask him."

"Soon we'll know. We'll find out when they're coming home." Lily nodded, staring at nothing.

"Morgana!" The brunette's head snapped up when she heard her father's voice.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"I'm going for another car ride, do you want to come?"

"Sure…" she shouted, a little less enthusiastic. "Be back in a bit," she added to Lily.

**OxO**

"Dad, this is the same route we took last time."

"I know," he said calmly, slowly driving. "We're going back to Penny Lane."

"Why?"

"Something I wanted to show you." They drove a few more minutes before turning onto the quiet street once again. It was almost too perfect- there were a few children jumping rope on the sidewalk while their parents talked on a porch. They drove a few more minutes before they parked in front of a decent sized house, a young tree in the front yard.

"It's a nice house…" her eyes traveled over the Victorian-style house. Her father got out of the car and motioned for her to follow, which she did. He pulled out a key and went up to the porch, holding the door open for her.

"Come in!" he said, smiling. She stepped into the house.

"Why are we in here?"

"I thought you'd like to see this house."

"It's great. Spacious, but not too big and pretentious," she commented, slowly walking to an archway between two rooms. "Who's is it?"

"Yours." She felt her heart drop to her stomach and held the wall for balance. "I bought it for you." She didn't turn around to look at her father. Instead, she stared at the floor of the house. _Her_ floor._ Her_ house.

"You… bought me a… a house?"

"Yes."

"On Penny Lane? You bought me a house on Penny Lane?"

"I did." She whipped around.

"Do you want to be sent to the _poor_ house?! You and Mum would have to move in with me until I was too poor to pay the taxes on it! Do you know how insane this is?! First off, the total cost of the house! Secondly, the taxes on the house! I mean… come on, Dad! Are you insane?! This is… this is…"

"Calm down, you'll frighten your new neighbors. Listen- I negotiated with the realtor and the family, so it wasn't an arm and a leg. Your mother and I had money saved up. It wasn't that much. The taxes are low too. I bought the house quickly because houses on Penny Lane sell fast. It's a perfect place to live- it doesn't cost much, it's quiet, safe… It's perfect for you." She took a few deep breaths, her hands still out in front of her, as if she were blocking him.

"Alright… I'll move in… But I'm buying the furniture and-" she stopped when she saw the look on his face. "There's already furniture."

"Steve called it!" he said, disappointed. She was immediately reminded of a child who hadn't got to sit in the front seat of a car. She blinked furiously. "He's agreed to pay for everything."

"It's not that I'm not grateful because… I am, but…"

"I know, honey," her father said sympathetically, hugging her to him. "You don't want us spending money on you. You never did. But, when life gives you a house on Penny Lane, you'd better take it." She nodded, holding back tears.

"Thank you, Daddy…" He kissed her head.

"If you wanted to, you could live in this house for the rest of your life. There's enough room to raise a family when you get older."

"Can we go see the rest of it?"

"Sure."

**OxO**

"Lily! Lily!" Morgana shouted, running into her friend's room. "Lily, we've got a letter!"

"Dumbledore?!"

"Yep!" She fumbled with the parchment for a moment before it was completely open.

"_Dear M,_

_Thank you for the concern over my break, it has been very enjoyable. If you would please come to my office today at five o'clock in the afternoon, I would love to tell you what I know. I am afraid that interception is far too likely. L may come too if she wishes. You may Floo."_

"Five… It's quarter to!"

"Well, get ready then!" Morgana said, running from the room. She hastily changed out of her beat up shorts and t-shirt into a nicer t-shirt and jeans. It was too muggy out; she could feel herself getting warmer already now that less skin was exposed. "Ready?" she called to Lily.

"Whenever you are!" she yelled back. A moment later, two pairs of feet were pounding down the stairs.

"Mum! We have to Floo to Hogwarts, we'll be back in a bit!" Morgana called over her shoulder. Morgana and Lily stepped into the fireplace, Morgana holding out her fist which was full of emerald powder. "Hogwarts!" The living room disappeared and was quickly replaced by the headmaster's office.

"Ah, ladies, you're here a bit earlier than I would have thought, but I suppose that is to be expected." Morgana brushed herself off while Lily stepped out of the fireplace.

"Hello, Morgana, Lily." Morgana jumped at the new voice.

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall." They were seated across the desk from each other and nodded to Morgana. Lily hastily muttered a greeting.

"I expect you'll want to hear about Sirius and James. I'll leave," McGonagall said, getting up. "We'll talk later, Albus."

"I would hope so." The door clicked shut. "Sit down please, ladies." Morgana and Lily occupied the two chairs on the side opposite from the man. "James and Sirius have finished their mission." Both women gave sighs of relief. "However, they finished three weeks ago and should have been home to you not long after that." Morgana's stomach lurched as if she had missed a step on the way down, her mind raced. "Because of them, it is easier to monitor the actions of the other side, and nothing has involved either of them that we can see." Morgana heard Lily inhale shakily, but she could not look at her.

"So… what you're saying… is that they're missing?" Morgana said, her voice higher than usual.

"It would appear so." She glared at him.

"And you just sit there. How can you just sit there while two men are missing?! Why didn't you tell us?! Why aren't you sending people out to look for them?!"

"At this point, there is no reason to believe that either man has come to any sort of harm. As I said, now it is much easier to monitor the actions of the other side and we have seen nothing that would lead us to believe that they are holding them. I know that you are worried about them and miss them, but I cannot endanger more lives. I'm sure that they will be home to you soon." Morgana put her head in between her arms and gripped the back of her hair.

"So, you'll start to worry about them when?"

"Miss le Fay, I have worried about those two since their first prank together. When I see that it is time to worry more, I will. Until then, we must continue as we would if they were only busy for a day. You must take this a day at a time."

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then it will only be harder." She glanced up at him to see that his face still held the same gentle expression as always, his eyes twinkling. She looked down, a bit embarrassed at her attitude. "Do not be ashamed. If anything, you should be proud that you love someone so much. It is perfectly reasonable to be angry at someone who does not feel such a strong pull towards the person. I am certain that your world is not as bright when he is away; but, realize that it is only temporary and that when he comes back life will be just as good as before. The same goes for you, Miss Evans." Lily continued to stare at the corner of his desk- she was worlds away.

"We just want them home."

"And they will be."

"Professor… what were they doing?"

"I'm afraid that only the people on the very inside should know, just in case someone who knows is tortured for it." Morgana gave an involuntary shudder. "I can tell you this- they made watching the other side much easier and they managed to find out many more Death Eater's names."

"How dangerous… How much danger were- are they in?"

"It was very dangerous. It was more than brave of them to agree to such a job knowing the risks involved. However, as far as I can tell, they were successful."

"Success here meaning that they might be missing, but at least we know what's going on?" He smiled at the lack of sarcasm in her voice.

"Precisely."

"Thousands for the price of two."

"Maybe even millions. And we may not even have to pay the two." She nodded slowly, trying not to think about the fact that Sirius and James might be lost. She doubted her brain could process it and still function later on.

"I need… to go and think or something… I need to get my mind away from this."

"Completely understandable. I'm afraid you will have to leave from Hogsmeade as the Floo Connection was broken the moment you got here."

"Alright, thank you, professor. Come on, Lily." She gently touched her friend's arm. Lily followed Morgana out of the room, still in a trace. Morgana walked to the first step of the marble staircases before stopping and staring at the banister. She took a few steps backward and ran at the banister, turning a bit to sit down on it. All she could hear was the wind rushing past as she flew down the staircases grinning- She was going to miss Hogwarts so much. She made it to the ground floor and jumped off, Lily still far behind. She waited for her friend and they made their way onto the grounds.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Lily whispered.

"Of course they will. Both are too tough to let a couple of Death Eaters get them."

"You don't have to lie, you know."

"I'm not." It was _partially _true. Part of her truly believed that they were okay; but another part, a part that was far larger than the first, couldn't help but think the worst and wonder if they were safe.

"Who'sar?" someone shouted. Both turned to see a large figure far to their left.

"Hagrid?" Morgana called back. "It's Morgana le Fay and Lily Evans!"

"Morgana an' Lily?! Wha' brings you here?"

"Checking in on things," Morgana said loudly, walking towards Hagrid. "How've you been?"

"Not too bad. Been busy. You?"

"Been better, but been a whole lot worse."

"Whatta 'bout you, Lily?"

"Same as Morgana."

"Livin' with th' paren's still?"

"Not all that much longer. I've got a house now and I've invited Lily to come live with me if she wants."

"Tha's nice."

"We'd best be getting on. I'm sure we'll see you soon. Nice talking to you, Hagrid!"

"You too, Morgana. Bye, Lily!" Lily gave a quick smile before they set off again. They exited the gates and walked through Hogsmeade, shuffling down the street.

"Ya lazy bum!" a voice roared ahead of them. A moment later, a man flew headfirst out of a door, landing hard on the street. "Don't come back unless you've got two sickles to rub together, ya leech!" A pretty girl about the same age as Lily and Morgana stepped out of the building, shaking her finger at the man. She glanced up and down the street, her eyes sticking to the pair of former seventh years. "Lily Evans and Morgana le Fay!"

"I don't know that I'm up for another heart-warming reunion…" Lily said quietly.

"Go with it. It's not what you know, it's who you know!" Morgana whispered before raising her voice. "Hey! Rosmerta!" She quickened her pace, forcing Lily to follow. Morgana hugged Rosemerta, grinning.

"What brings you two to Hogsmeade? If you need a job, we'd be more than happy to help. Under the counter pay, if you want."

"I'll keep it in mind, but we're not really looking right now. We're alright for the time being, but thanks. We were just checking in with Dumbledore, seeing how things were."

"Not a bad idea, especially in these times. Come on in!" Before she could protest, Morgana was being led into the crowded pub by the taller girl. Lily reluctantly followed. "Mum! These two get whatever they want. On the house!" From the middle of the pub, an older woman gave a thumbs-up, pausing her conversation for a moment. Rosemerta found them two seats at the front counter.

"Really, we'll pay gladly. We've got the money."

"Nonsense!"

"We've been neglecting to visit, Rosemerta!"

"But your boyfriends have helped me out of several sticky situations. Mainly one involving a Hufflepuff Keeper, a wool cap, Spell-O Tape, and an alleyway." Morgana raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask. "We won't talk about that. Now, what'll it be? Firewhiskey?"

"We don't drink," Lily said.

"Two Firewhiskeys, then." Morgana watched the younger girl fumble around behind the counter. She had never formally been educated at Hogwarts. Rosemerta's mother had taught her most of what she knew and had sent her in to a few classes with Dumbledore's approval, but the girl had never truly gone to school. She seemed to be doing well, though. Rosemerta banged two smaller bottles on the table. "So… How're Sirius and James?"

"Haven't seen them in a few days, but I'm sure they're fine," Lily said, opening her bottle.

"I heard that James' speech at the ceremony was something else."

"He promised Morgana that if I went out with him, he would proclaim her superiority to the whole school. He thought that graduation would be more embarrassing."

"You know…" Morgana and Lily turned to look at the man sitting next to Morgana, clearly drunk. "If I were th… them… I wouldn't let you ladies out… of my fight…"

"I think you mean 'sight', Gus," Rosemerta said, wiping out a glass.

"Aye… that too. I'll have another… by the way."

"Oh no you won't! You're snockered on your arse! Speakin' slower than my late Granny walks!"

"Nah… Nah, I'm not!"

"You're not getting another! Not until you sleep off what you just had! Your tab's pretty high you know!"

"Yah know I'm good for it!"

"Sure. Right."

"Gimme another!"

"No." He banged his fist on the counter.

"Imma payin' customer, dammit!" She rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She fumbled around for a moment before giving him a mug.

"Tha's a girl…" The liquid sloshed a bit down his front before he put the mug down and his head hit the counter.

"That'll sober him up! He'll have one hell of a headache in a few hours though."

"He'll just sleep there?" Morgana asked.

"'Course. He's been in a right state lately. Wife left him 'round a month and a half ago… with the chimney sweep. I always said that no fireplace could give off that much creosote! Gives us a lot of business, I'll tell ya that."

"Silver lining?"

"Very faint silver lining. He's not a bad guy, just can't hold his liquor."

"So, Rose… Anyone for you?" Morgana asked, taking a sip of Firewhiskey.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Where_ is_ Caradoc? Hold on a tick…" Rosemerta strode off to find him, her high heels clicking on the floor behind the counter. She disappeared into a room off the side for a few minutes before emerging, a dark haired man following behind her. He was muscular and a head taller than the statuesque Rosemerta. He looked as if he could have easily taken on all four Marauders without breaking a sweat, but his dark eyes sparkled with kindness. "Caradoc, this is Morgana le Fay and Lily Evans. They just graduated Hogwarts, their boyfriends were the ones I told you about with the Keeper."

"Okay," he said slowly, nodding and shaking both girls' hands.

"This is my boyfriend, Caradoc Dearborn."

"Let's see… you must be with Sirius and you're with James," Caradoc said, pointing to Morgana then Lily.

"How'd you know?" Morgana asked, furrowing her brow.

"Lucky guess," he shrugged honestly.

"I don't remember seeing you at Hogwarts…"

"I graduated a few years back- Ravenclaw." Morgana jerked her head in acknowledgement. Caradoc looked next to her. "Want me to kick Gus out?"

"No! Let him sleep it off in back." He shrugged and walked around to the other side of the counter, pulling one of Gus's arms over his shoulder and half-carrying him out of the crowded room. Rosemerta watched him go. "He's a good man. Gorgeous, too. He helps out around here so much…"

"Rosemerta…" Lily said, her eyebrows raised. "How old is he?"

"There's a seven year age difference with us…"

"Nice one!" Morgana said, making the bar maiden wink at her.

"That's why we don't remember him at Hogwarts! When he was there, we were too worried about getting house points!" Lily exclaimed, waving a hand.

"Who even won the Cup this year?"

"We did, Ana."

"Oh… I was too preoccupied with the Quidditch Cup, I guess."

"That and rounding several bases with Sirius…"

"Shut it!" Morgana laughed, turning bright red. "Without me, you'd never have accepted James' date offer! It takes three stubborn people to make a _yes_, two to make a_ no_. Just like the number of letters."

"Sure it does." Before any of them knew it, the pub was emptying and the clock showed midnight. Morgana, Lily, and Caradoc were seated at a booth, Rosemerta making frequent stops to their seats in between her duties.

"Guys… I think this is the most alcohol I've ever had in my entire life… I know it is!" Morgana confessed, swaying slightly in her seat. "My fingers are tingly… I think I'm a bit in… ineb… inebriated!"

"You haven't even had a bottle and a half!" Caradoc boomed.

"Still the most I've ever had…"

"But you've had it over a period of several hours."

"Are you arguing with me?"

"Maybe."

"I'm not fully drunk, just a bit woozy."

"See that floorboard?" Caradoc asked, pointing. "See if you can walk on it in a straight line." Morgana got up and walked on the floorboard, heel to toe. "Not bad at all. You're fine, but you're not getting anything else unless it's water or coffee." Morgana sat back down next to Lily. The red head had her eyes crossed as she stared at the tips of her fingers which were pressed together.

"What _are_ fingernails?" she asked dreamily. "Are they little slices of bone? Are they… what do you call this? Skin! Are they skin that's, like, super tough? Where do they come from? Are their little fingernail factories in your knuckles that build fingernail extensions and ship them out? What is it?"

"Nails are made of a protein called keratin. It's tough," Morgana yawned. Lily furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head to look at her, glaring.

"Are you saying the fingernail factories don't exist?"

"Of course not."

"Because then all of the workers would be out of a job. I'm unemployed. I can't pay for all of them to be on unemployment."

"Naturally." Morgana glanced at the two empty bottles by Lily's hand.

"Maybe I'd better get something for her. You too, Morgana. I think we'd better send you guys home." Morgana nodded, continuing to yawn. Caradoc came back a few minutes later and handed both of them a glass of bright blue liquid. "Drink this. You'll get home easier." Morgana gulped it down. At first, it felt as though she had swallowed nails; then, she began to feel a bit better, things were more clear. Lily downed hers and soon looked tired.

"Can we go home?"

"Of course, Lils." As if on cue, Rosemerta appeared a moment later.

"Leaving?"

"Yeah, we thought we shouldn't get too drunk."

"Good idea. Well, thanks for stopping in. It was good to see you!" As Morgana got up to hug the girl, she slipped several galleons under the tablecloth.

"You too. Thanks for everything."

"Anytime! You come back in here with Sirius and James okay? 'Night Lily." Morgana moved on to the man behind Rosemerta.

"Goodnight, Caradoc. It was good to meet you."

"You too, Morgana. Sleep well."

"I will," she said, giving him a quick hug. Lily stumbled up to him

"Nighty night, Caradoc!" she hugged his middle. "There's a nice hug. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lily. Take care." She followed Morgana over to the fireplace and gripped her friend's sleeve. Morgana shouted her address and threw down a handful of emerald powder. The Three Broomsticks disappeared and they were home again.

**OxO**

"Morgana! Lily!" Morgana's eyes flicked up as she heard tiny footsteps rushing to her bedroom door. She and Lily had been reading over a spell book and Morgana quickly shoved it under her pillow while a little girl burst into the room.

"What's up, Nat?" Lily asked.

"My kitty, Shadow, had babies!"

"That's great, honey!"

"Morgana's mummy and dad said that you could take one if you wanted!" Morgana and Lily exchanged a glance.

"Sure. That'd be great!" The little girl gave an excited squeak and ran downstairs, the older two following her.

"Daddy said I can only keep one, but there are ten kittens, so we've got to find nine homes."

"Well, now you'll only have to find eight," Morgana told her, smiling.

"Oh!" Lily gasped, bending over the cardboard box and picking up a kitten. It was fluffy and light grey, her bright blue eyes staring pleadingly at Lily. "This looks just like my kitty used to look!"

"That's the smallest one. She's a runt," Natalie informed her, nodding.

"What do you think, Morgana?"

"I think she's adorable! Should we take her?"

"I think so." Lily hugged the kitten to her.

"What'll you name her?" Morgana asked. Lily stared at the kitten thoughtfully and opened her mouth to speak, glancing up at Morgana. She stopped and her eyes widened. Morgana whipped around, praying that she would see two black haired men behind her, but her heart sank a little. The only reason she hadn't fallen to her knees was because the sight of two of her friends was so uplifting.

"Remus!" she exclaimed, running forward and throwing her arms around her friend. He chuckled and gave her a tight hug before letting her embrace Peter.

"Where's your puppy? We haven't heard from him or James in ages! Frankly, we're rather pissed!" Morgana's smile faded at the werewolf's words. "Oh God… what happened…"

"We haven't heard from them either. Dumbledore lost contact with them weeks ago. We saw him the day before yesterday. Nothing." Remus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"They'll be home soon. Probably just got caught up in something."

"You hope."

"Right now, what else can we do? I think Dumbledore's waiting for a few more recruits before meetings begin. Word has it, Dorcas Meadowes is considering joining."

"She is…?"

"She's _huge_ over at the Ministry. Went in for Auror training, and she starts getting really quiet. Next thing you know, she's an Unspeakable." Morgana's eyes widened.

"Well, that's a handy person to have around."

"Definitely." Morgana turned her head; Lily was talking to Natalie, clearly trying to explain who was visiting. "Marlene's thinking of dropping out. Almost certain she'll do it." Morgana whipped back around, feeling something pop in her neck, but she ignored it.

"What?!"

"I know. She's bright enough to make it, but she would have to go back and take her N.E.W.T.s."

"No! But she's got so much ahead of her! She's got too much to learn yet!"

"Apparently not. She's been preparing for this, Morgana. She was doing N.E.W.T. work in fifth year. I guess Dumbledore's told her that if she takes an exam every month and goes back to finish her finals, he'll let her go."

"How can he do that?! She's far too young!"

"She'll be legal age on September 2nd. All she has to do is sleep at Hogwarts for a night and she can legally leave."

"What do her parents think?"

"They were horrified at first, but she showed them what she knew and told them everything and… they're not crazy about it and they want nothing more than for her to finish normally, but there isn't much they can do." Morgana shook her head.

"So, we're looking at Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene. Anyone else?"

"Some bloke… Direborn?"

"_Dearborn?_ Caradoc Dearborn? Oh, he's a good man. After we talked to Dumbledore, we went to the Three Broomsticks. He's rather sweet on Rosemerta."

"Well, there's him. Those are the ones that are looking at joining and trying to get in. There were a few others, but he only told us the ones that weren't officially joined yet."

"How'd you find all this out from him?"

"Allie's got talent."

"Ah, putting the girlfriend to use."

"We actually broke up about two weeks ago."

"No! I'm so sorry, Remus."

"Don't worry about it. We actually both came up to each other at the same time. Both agreed that we were too similar for our own good. We're better as friends." He didn't seem too down, so Morgana decided to drop the subject.

"Remus!" Lily called, walking towards them. The three moved over to her. Morgana followed, darkly wondering what other surprises the war would bring.

**OxO**

Morgana was half asleep, spending another 1:00 A.M. thinking about the war. How many would die? Who would be left standing, empty because of all the losses suffered? Would any be left standing? Her thoughts drifted to Marlene, the young woman with more potential than any of her peers. She was so determined to fight for the cause that she was willing to risk her future success in hopes of making a difference. She told Morgana that she would get the next Quidditch Cup- would she? There didn't seem to be much hope left that she would return to Hogwarts for any length of time. And Morgana knew that Marlene was stubborn enough that no one would be able to convince her, she would make the decision on her own. If it came down to it, she would leave Hogwarts at 12:01 on the morning of September 2nd, She felt pure, black sleep overcoming her and slipped into perfect numbness. It seemed that the next second, she heard the bedsprings creak, even though she was perfectly still. She felt another heat source in the bed and her eyes snapped open, the only difference in visibility was the light shining through the space at the bottom of her door.

"Morgana?" She felt all her weariness wash away the moment she heard the deep, familiar voice.

"Sirius…" she breathed. A split second later, she was half-laying on him, covering his face in kisses. At the same moment, he hissed in pain. "What's wrong?!"

"I cracked a few ribs, I think."

"Didn't James heal them?"

"Recently cracked."

"How recent?"

"Today." She gently moved over him on the bed and flicked on a lamp, letting her eyes adjust to the light before taking in his face.

The flesh around Sirius' right eye was bruised, shiny and purple, there were several scratches on his throat and his lip was cracked.

"Who did this?"

"Travers and Dolohov. Ran into them on the way home, so we had to double back and make sure we wouldn't lead them here. Made it look like we went into an apartment building- it was empty though."

"Do you want me to heal them?"

"What? An eye resembling a grape and a swollen lip doesn't turn you on?" he joked. She kissed his left cheek and reached over him to grab her wand. Before he knew it, Morgana had healed every scratch and bruise and his lip was back to normal. She gently lifted his shirt and began muttering under her breath, her pale brow creased in concentration. The moment he had passed her inspection, she tightly hugged his neck, breathing in his scent. He kissed her hair, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"I'm never leaving for any length of time again."

"I second that. Where were you?"

"That, my love, is a grand tale," he sighed, his words contradicting his tone. He loosened his hold on her and she settled for resting her head on his shoulder. "Did you talk to Dumbledore?"

"Yes. He said we couldn't know exactly what you were doing."

"Well, that'll save a bit of time. I suppose he told you that we made it easier to watch the Death Eaters?"

"And that was it."

"It's better that way, love. Anyway… that was a big job. Finding them took two weeks, the plan took another week. Then, we ran into complications. They found out that something was going on, but they didn't know what exactly. We had to lay low for a while, hiding in empty houses and such. We went all across the continent. Once we thought we lost them, we started heading home. That was a few days ago. Then, at about three in the morning today… or… yesterday, really, we were attacked. Took down Dolohov and Travers easily, but we had to make sure we shook them completely. We didn't stop for anything. James broke two fingers and a wrist and they're not healed yet."

"I'm just glad you're home."

"I got you something on the way to the Death Eaters. We had to keep staying in all sorts of places and one really got our interest." She moved to look at him as he held up a pair of keys. "James bought a house for you, me, him, and Lily." Morgana picked up her own keys from her nightstand.

"So did I. Well, my dad did anyway. Free to whoever wants to live there." His eyes widened.

"Fancy that."

"Indeed."

"What's it like?"

"Bigger than I need and, get this- it's on a street called Penny Lane."

"As in the song?"

"Yep."

"Pretty weird. What else happened when I was gone?" She told him a bit more about the house before confessing their visit to Dumbledore, the first time she had digested any real bit of alcohol, the kittens, Remus and Allie's break up, and the addition of an Unspeakable, a soon-to-be seventh year, and a mysterious wizard into the Order. By the time she had finished, he was staring at her, his mouth limply hanging open.

"Are you okay?"

"I think… I think I need time to process some of this stuff… Especially that I'm in the same house as a_ cat_… I'm over tired, I'll never fall asleep." She flicked off the lamp and nestled into the spot next to him on the bed.

"Anything I can do?" He pulled her closer to him.

"Just what you used to do at Hogwarts… go to sleep." She grasped his forearms, making sure that she would know if he let go of her during the night.

"Alright. I think I can do that."

"I missed you… I love you."

"You too, _Sir Ius_…" she said, grinning mischievously in the dark.

"Your knight in shining t-shirts."

"You probably have shiny pants too."

"Perhaps."

"Oh, Merlin, we're leaving that for later…"

**OxO**

Sirius awoke the next morning, light pouring in through Morgana's window. He blinked his eyes open, groaning and rubbing his face with one hand. He could feel Morgana's face pressed against his chest, her breathing deep, even though her clothes were changed. He glanced up at the clock- 8:34.

"Are you awake?" He heard Morgana grumble something incoherently, pressing her head closer to him. "Didn't you sleep last night?"

"Of course… Just not much…" she told him, pulling her face away from him before resting her head once more. "You should probably change your clothes."

"Are you saying I stink?" he joked.

"No, but then again, I never think you smell."

"Why don't I take a shower and change my clothes? You just stay here and I'll wake you up when I'm dressed, okay?" She nodded and he gently rolled her over him, entering the small room next to Morgana's. He closed the bathroom door behind him and glanced over his face, checking the eye that had been badly bruised- he looked completely normal, but he still ached all over. After he was clean and dressed, he went back to Morgana's room. She was still in the spot he had left her in, but her eyes were a bit more alert.

"You left your shirt here when you went off." His eyes scanned the room, settling on a black pile of cloth.

"Did you wear it?"

"No."

"Well, why not? What's mine is yours."

"I guess it just seemed a bit rude for me to wear it. You don't wear my shirts."

"No, because you're teeny tiny and I'm not. I'd stretch them out to a point of no return. But I assure you- if I could, I would," he added with a wink. Morgana grinned at him.

"Is James here still too?"

"As far as I know. Should we go downstairs?" Morgana nodded and led him out of the room, holding his hand behind her back.

"Morning, all!" she said cheerfully as she entered the kitchen. Morgana's parents were sitting at the kitchen table, talking about work and they brightly greeted Sirius. Morgana handed Sirius a piece of toast before taking one for herself and eating it quickly.

"If you're hungry, I can make more," her mother said.

"Not hungry, just excited. And a bit over-tired…" she admitted.

"Not going away again, are you Sirius?" Mr. Harmons asked.

"Not for a very long time. I'm thinking… eighty years, _maybe_."

"At the least," Morgana added before glancing around. "James!" she exclaimed. As she gave James a quick hug, Sirius walked to Lily.

"Hey, Lils-" he broke off in a quiet growl, eyeing the ball of fur in her arms.

"Wha- Oh! I'm so sorry, Sirius!" She darted off up the stairs.

"You're not like that with McGonagall," Morgana observed.

"But she's not constantly a cat. Lily's cat and I would have to be gradually introduced. Hugging her and the kitten is not really a gradual introduction."

"Oh. We'll have to work on it. Lily hasn't named her yet, you know." He twitched his eyebrows in acknowledgement when a shriek from upstairs pierced the air.

"They're here! They're here!" Lily screamed. "Kitchen window!" Morgana heard her feet pounding down the stairs as the redhead bolted to the window, popping the screen out and jumping back, four owls flying into the room a moment later. They landed on the edge of the table, all four offering their legs at the same time. Morgana put her shaking hands to her face.

"The results from the N.E.W.T.s! I completely forgot! Oh Merlin, I can't look!" she whimpered, her breathing ragged.

"Morgana, here's yours if you want me to-" Contrary to what she had said, Morgana snatched the letter from Sirius' hand, breaking the seal on it and fumbling until it was open.

**Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests**

_Pass Grades:_

Outstanding (O), Exceeds Expectations (E), Acceptable (A)

_Fail Grades:_

Poor (P), Dreadful (D), Troll (T)

_**Morgana Caroline Antoinette Harmons le Fay has achieved:**_

-O- Ancient Runes

-E- Arithmancy

-E- Astronomy

-O- Care of Magical Creatures

-O- Charms

-O- Defense Against the Dark Arts

-E- Herbology

-O- Potions

-O- Transfiguration

Morgana's head was spinning- she had raised several grades, most noticably Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures since her O.W.L.s. That was- _one, two, three, four, five- six_ "Outsandings." She had all she needed to be an Auror…

"How'd you do, love?" Sirius asked her quietly, taking the letter from her hand and scanning over the table. "That's fantastic!"

"How did you do?" she asked him, peeking at his parchment.

"Got what I needed and an 'E' to spare!" he grinned. Morgana's mother took her daughter's letter from Sirius and beamed.

"Excellent job, honey!"

"I think I need to sit down…" Lily said from the window, her voice high, clutching her letter in her hands. Morgana hesitantly took it- seven "O"s, an "E", and an "A." "Divination was always my worst subject, but I'm rather happy with the rest of it…"

"That's amazing, Lils!" Morgana said breathlessly.

"I think both of you need to sit down," James told them, gently guiding Lily into the living room to sit on the couch. Sirius put a hand on Morgana's shoulder.

"You're freezing and it's gorgeous out… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine just a bit… surprised." Her father handed her letter back.

"Let's get you some fresh air, yeah?" She nodded and followed Sirius outside. Morgana flopped down on the grass, turning over so that she could stare up at the sky. Sirius read her results over, a small smile on his lips.

"Sirius… I passed! I've got all I need to go in for training! It's all set, I can join once this is all over! I- what's wrong?" Sirius' face hardened as he lounged on his side. Morgana twitched her eyebrows in understanding. "Look, if we can make it through this war, we can make it through anything. I, for one, am going to make it through this war, therefore, I will make it through training and whatever else. Then you can join Magical Law Enforcement, and everything will be how it should be, alright?" He bent his head to kiss her shoulder.

"Of course. I just want you to be happy."

"I am." He closed his eyes, smiling. "I'm proud of you, Sir." He kissed her hand and rested his head on her shoulder. "You'll be fantastic… not that you aren't now. You'll be the best one they'll have. _Officer Black_… You _will_ be an officer, right?"

"I think so," he said, smiling at her. "And you'll be Morgana Caroline Antoinette Harmons le Fay, Head Auror." They rested for a while, completely still except for breathing.

"Padfoot?" James called.

"Oi?" Sirius said loudly. They heard James coming down the stairs and he poked his head out of the door.

"There you are. Lily and I are going to my parents' house. You guys wanna come?"

"Sure, we'll go. You okay with that?" he added to Morgana.

"Yeah! Let's go!" she said, hopping up, pulling Sirius along with her.

"We can Apparate at the alley," James told Sirius, holding the door open for them. Lily was telling Morgana's parents where they were going while Morgana found her flip-flops. She followed Sirius out the front door and down the block, crossing the street and turning toward the dark alleyway. Morgana ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

"You look fine," Sirius told her. She gave him a small smile and clutched his arm, preparing to Apparate. He kissed her forehead and an instant later, she felt the familiar constricted sensation before they were in a garage corner. Two expensive muggle cars were parked ahead of her, one red, one black.

"All show," Sirius informed her, following her gaze. "Mr. Potter can drive, but they hardly ever use them."

"They're so… shiny!" Sirius patted the black one fondly.

"You can touch them, you know. They're not going to fall to pieces." Morgana hesitantly put her hand on the hood before retracting it.

"I'd hate to put a smudge on it…"

"Guys?" James asked them. Morgana followed Sirius through a doorway, her eyes widening at the size of the room. "Mum! Dad! We're back!" Morgana marveled at the large paintings and the comfortable furniture. She had seen pictures of houses this size, but they always looked empty and cold. Everything about this house was welcoming. She glanced up at the ceiling, a large chandelier hanging directly above her head. Her gaze wandered to the large windows, several of which were stained glass.

"Nice, huh?" Sirius whispered in her ear; she nodded in awe, admiring the large rug beneath her.

"James?! Sirius?!" She heard someone exclaim. An older woman stood at the door, her hair was salt and pepper and thinning. She had a kind face and the corners of her eyes wrinkled in when she smiled. An older man followed behind her, the same smile on his lips. They were far older than Morgana's parents, but she felt just as comfortable around them already. James scooped his mother up in a hug and embraced his father, Sirius doing the same.

"Guys, there's a few people I'd like you to meet. This is Lily," he told them, gently pulling Lily forward by the hand. "And this is Morgana." Sirius tugged at her hand as well. "These are my parents," he said to the girls as they shook Mr. Potter's hand and Mrs. Potter kissed their cheeks.

"We've heard so much about you- both of you. We didn't get a chance to see you at the ceremony and we were so disappointed!" Mrs. Potter said, letting go of Morgana.

"We wanted to meet you too! It was such a busy night, though. We can talk properly now," Lily replied, smiling.

"Very true. Should I make us some tea? Our house elf is taking a much needed break right now."

"That'd be great, Mum. Sirius and I have to bring our stuff up to our rooms, we'll only be a minute."

"Alright. I'm sure the girls would love to see your rooms." James gave his mother a thumbs-up and led them through two more rooms, both of them gigantic. They made it to the entrance hall and faced a huge staircase, Morgana's eyes widened even more.

"Careful, you're face could get stuck like that!" Sirius chuckled, gently pulling her up the stairs.

"It's all so… awesome…" she breathed.

"Just like me when I came in for the first time. You don't really get used to it, you just… accept that it's damn huge." They made it to the top and walked down a long hallway, still following James. "My room is here…" he opened a door to the left. "And James is three doors down." She noted the door that Lily and James disappeared into.

"I think Lily's impressed…" Morgana said.

"You are too!"

"Didn't say I wasn't…" Morgana turned into his room. She could have easily fit three of her bedrooms inside of it. A good portion of the wall space was dedicated to pictures of their friends, other parts were covered in posters and Gryffindor banners. She grinned at the lone Beatles poster above his nightstand. "I love your decorating."

"Similar to yours."

"Very." He sat down on the dark grey bed spread while she took a closer look at some of the pictures, smiling.

"Did you check out the view?" he asked her. She looked up and found the window, a small gasp escaping her lips as she rushed over. They were on top of a hill overlooking a dark forest. She looked down- a fairly steep drop.

"It's… gorgeous…" His arms slithered around her waist and she rested against his chest.

"Surprise after surprise, eh?"

"Between test results, the size of this place, the Beatles poster and the view… I'm at a loss."

"You'll have to sleep over before we move out. The Potters won't mind. My bed's big enough too." He guided her over to the large bed before flopping down, Morgana sliding in beside him, staring up at the ceiling.

"You leave _this_ to come to _my_ house?! You're insane! We can barely fit in my dinky twin bed and we could spread out in this one and still have room."

"If I had the choice of spending the night with you in a cave loaded with bats or sleeping alone on a cloud-"

"I'm still going to call you insane."

"Not the first time that's happened." He gently took her wrist and started playing with the black ribbon tied around it. "I'm very lucky to have you, you know. Loads of the guys wanted you, you know. You should have heard them talking in the bathrooms." Morgana snorted, her face scrunched up with repressed laughter. "What?"

"You're so naïve, Sirius!"

"How so?"

"It's your fault! The only reason any male noticed me is because _you_ noticed me!" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Sirius, look at me." He continued to give her a bewildered star as she rolled over onto her side. His eyes traveled swiftly across her face. "Sure, I'm not ugly, a bit better than plain, but I'm not the exceptional-looking goddess that you make me out to be."

"But… you're not anywhere near plain!"

"Maybe not to _you_, but all in all, I'm not that amazing… When you first saw me, you saw my eyes. You got to know me and if you thought I was any sort of good-looking, it was because you matched my looks with my personality."

"What?"

"You liked my personality, therefore, you liked my looks," she said, waving him off as the simplest thing in the world. "In that magical summer when I discovered make up and I developed some form of a figure, you noticed me. You kept trying harder and harder to get me. Some of the guys figured _'What's good for _the_ Sirius Black is good for me!' _so, they wanted me. That gave me more of a confidence boost and a few more guys stared to look at me. One higher up on the food chain, like Matt… It was a domino effect, really."

"_That's_ insane."

"You say that now, but if I was just another person in the crowd, if you only saw me and not know who I am… It would be completely different."

"To see you is to know you… in my case at least. Your face, your eyes…" he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Very expressive."

"But-"

"Shh… You won't convince me, so don't waste your precious time." She rolled her eyes but said nothing as his fingers grazed a segment of the chain on her necklace.

"I haven't taken it off for a moment. I try to take care of it as much as possible, though. The chain looks so fine…"

"Very. But it's been hardened and it'll take a bit to break it, very strong."

"I love it. It's gorgeous and… perfect."

"I'm glad you like it. I had hoped you would." She sighed as he closed his eyes, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

"So, you were on a mission and happened to look at real estate?"

"Didn't just look- purchased as well. You have to understand: when we had to work, we didn't have time to think. But if we were in a lull, we had so much freedom. That was only in the beginning though. It didn't last long."

"We were worried sick."

"Now, what is this? I missed your first time as a drunk?"

"It was very mild, I was just a bit woozy."

"How much did you have?"

"About… a little less than a bottle and a half, the smaller ones."

"_That's it?!_ I thought you could hold more than that!"

"I wasn't drinking with the intent of getting drunk!"

"I'm only kidding, love, relax… We'll have to so something about that, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think you'd be a very fun drunk."

"I don't condone drinking, Sirius."

"That's what they all say."

"Now I'm never going to get close to drunk. I'll be the designated Apparator. I hope you're happy."

"Aw, don't-" he cut off when they heard scratching at the window screen. He strode over to the window and let the large tawny in, depositing a coin into the pouch around its leg and taking a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from it. The owl flew off moments later. "Want to read it?" She caught the paper that he tossed at her and she scanned the front page.

"So far, it's all bull…" He watched her unfold it again, opening it completely, gasping after a few moments. "How horrible! A family of four died in Kent!" Sirius' face hardened and he sat on the bed to read over her shoulder. "Apparently, it doesn't look like it was Death Eaters… just some magical illness. They're trying to connect it with the death of an old witch that lived down the street... Sirius, look at the little boy! His sister was just a baby."

"Strange…"

"Very strange, indeed… I suppose it was just a freak thing."

"Probably. They'll do follow-ups on it, don't worry." She sighed and flipped a few more pages until she was at the end.

"Rubbish- all rubbish. Want to do the crossword?"

"You seriously do those things?"

"They're fun for us bookish types! Okay, let's see… '_vampire from the Valleys'_ and it has seven letters. Oh! What's that Bludd bloke's name?"

"B-L something or other… Blowine?"

"No… Blod… Blod…"

"Blodwyn!"

"Yes, that's it!" Sirius handed her a muggle pencil and she hastily scribbled the name down.

"Fifteen down is Boardman. Stubby Boardman's in the Hobgoblins."

"Rather annoying band."

"Very. Their songs are too nasally."

"What's Gladys Boothby's ash broom? Wasn't that the Moonskimmer?"

"Moontrimmer."

"Are you sure? I thought it was Moonskimmer."

"Check with _Which Broomstick?_, but if I'm right, you have to spend the night here."

"Not much of a punishment, but alright."

"Magazine's on the shelf right there." She hopped off the bed and grabbed the magazine on the shelf on the opposite wall, flipping to the back cover and running her finger down the index page. "Was I right?"

"Apparently. Guess I'm crashing here tonight."

"I guess so. Teach you to question me!"

"Someone has to."

"And everyone should."

* * *

**A/N: **The chapter is far too long. I'm tired. It's kinda late. I have to work in the morning. I'll post this when I get home. So, as you read this, I've already slept and am probably not as tired. Yay! Oh, goody. I can't even think straight right now. Okay- I didn't like this chapter, but I don't really want to change it because… it fuels future chapters. So, thanks for dealing with my suckier-than-usual writing, and if you would be ever so kind as to leave a review and make my lack of sleep worthwhile, that would be awesome. Thanks a bagillion.


	18. It's the End of the World

**A/N:** I think that this chapter took enough tries and a long enough writing period that you don't really need or want to wait and read through a huge note.

**Warning:** Mild language, references, whatev floats your boat. I have no clue as to content but I always (try to) limit it.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Harry Potter, I'd buy my way out of assignments, believe you me.

* * *

_**Chapter 18- It's the End of the World… **_

* * *

"Sirius! Come on, they'll be here soon!" Morgana called from the kitchen, hearing several soft bangings and poundings from the basement. "You'd better not be playing with any explosives because if this house blows up, I swear to God…" she warned, rolling her eyes and putting plates on the kitchen table.

"Yes, dear," she heard him say, noting his use of the pet name.

"Thank you, darling," she replied, holding back a snicker as silverware floated to the table. Lily and James would be having supper with them tonight. Apparently, they had something to talk to Sirius and Morgana about and Lily wanted to see the house. Win-win. Then there was the fact that they hadn't seen each other in two weeks, and tomorrow's Order meeting wouldn't allow much time for catching up.

"Sirius!" she shouted, more of an edge to her voice as the clanging continued. Sirius was in the kitchen a few moments later.

"Innocent, I swear."

"Yeah, right."

"Well, if you're going to be so mean, I guess you won't get these," he sighed, showing her a small bouquet of yellow tulips. She gave him the most radiant smile, making his heart flutter.

"Did Lily tell you about these? About what they mean?"

"Well, I'm not sensitive enough to think of it on my own, so yeah, she gave me some hippogriff-sized hints. Yellow tulips- hopelessly in love."

She smiled even wider. "And are you?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'll have to take them, I suppose," she said, popping up on her tiptoes to peck his lips. "And you even gave me seven!" she gasped.

"I've known you for seven years today, September 1st. A tulip a year, like our roses. I thought of _that_ one on my own," he informed her proudly.

"Well, bless your heart," she laughed, kissing his forehead. "Sirius Orion Black, you're my favorite boyfriend ever."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"But, I decided that a tulip or two ago."

"Well, about seven tulips ago, _you_ became my favorite person ever."

"I still don't believe that. I don't believe in love at first sight."

"But-"

"Will you answer something for me? One million percent completely truthfully?"

"Of course."

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"I've told you."

"No, you haven't. We both know you didn't love me when I ran you down on the platform so… when?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I can't think of one particular thing that happened that made me think _'Okay, this is it.'_ I just… kinda… sank into it. Do you remember?"

"I used to think that I did, but… as I've thought about it more and more, I really don't know when. And then there're the different kinds of love. I loved you like a friend within a few days. Then I liked you loved you like a crush. When we were fighting, I hated you loved you. When we were on speaking terms again and you wanted me back, I loved you. When we started dating again, I loved you even more. And now…"

"I miss not dating you. Well- no, don't take it that way! But, remember when I would come up with all those stupid things to say to you and you'd always have a comeback and we'd bicker? I miss that."

"Well, you're still saying stupid things and I'm still bickering with you, so… Yeah, I know," she said in a fake exasperated voice when he gave her a look. "I miss hating you, too."

He laughed and pulled her into a hug, keeping her there for a moment or two.

"I wonder what's happened to Alyssa Gardner?" she mused, more to herself than to him.

"Whatever it is, it isn't good," he sighed.

"I pity her… I really do. At this point, I don't think I would even begrudge her a place to stay."

"I broke your heart because of her..."

"It wasn't her idea. I spent too much time thinking of her as scum, but it wasn't really her fault. I'd be afraid too. And, I mean, it all worked out in the end," she added with a smile.

"It certainly did," he agreed, pressing his face to her hair. "It worked out far better than I could have ever dreamed."

"And what was your most unrealistic dream?" she asked softly.

"I thought that the greatest hope I was entitled to was that you would at least be civil to me and maybe one day, when you got married, I would be able to sneak into the back of the church without being hexed."

She broke into laughter.

"What? That was what I really thought!"

"Was I that awful to you?" she gasped, covering her mouth and widening her eyes.

"Oh, don't look so shocked. No, you were quite justified. That's how awful _I_ was."

"You thought of my wedding, though?"

"I saw you with just about every other male on the planet."

"You saw me with… Remus?" she said casually

"Yep."

"And… Matt?"

"Easily."

"What about James and Peter?"

"Once in a while, I went into a panic or seriously questioned your judgement, yes."

"How about… Regulus?"

"Maybe you had a thing for the Blacks."

"What about… Snape?" she asked, a hint of disgust in her tone.

"I said 'male,' love. Not 'scum.' I know that in some cases those words are interchangeable, but not in all."

"So, it was pretty much everyone except Snape? Just about everyone we knew?"

"And then random people that you met by coincidence- the kid from Australia, Durmstrang guy, random American millionaire man- those were probably the worst ones because you would have picked a stranger over me. To see you with someone who hadn't been there with you when you first came to Hogwarts, when you were a kid and your cheeks were all rosy, when you swore in Slughorn's class, when you were crying… I wanted you to be with someone who had known you through everything. And… I didn't want you to look back and wish that I hadn't been your first kiss or see me as just another guy. I didn't want you to see me as ordinary."

"I've never seen you as ordinary. Never will." She angled her head to kiss his lips quickly before jumping as something tapped the window. They exchanged a look and Sirius let the large, spotted owl in. It flew to Morgana's outstretched arm.

"I don't recognize it…"

"That's my uncle's. Can I see the letter?" He quickly read the small parchment. "He wants to know if he can stop by on my birthday if we don't have any plans. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. It's not like I had anything planned. When's that again? October something…?" she asked, feigning deep thought. She put a hand on either shoulder and pecked his lips. "Have him come here?"

"Yeah, if that's okay."

"Just make sure he knows where to Apparate, or we can set up a Floo."

"Just let me-"

"Hey! You two! Break it up!" someone shouted, rapping at the backdoor.

"Potter, your manners are disgusting."

"Well, you're disgustingly gorgeous, Evans."

"Prongs, have I ever told you that your _timing_ is disgusting?" Sirius roared, pretending to be angry as his best friend and Lily walked up the back hallway steps.

"Eh, may have mentioned it once or twice. And if I recall, you were in similar situations, then. Hey, Morgana," he added, ruffling her hair. She stuck out her tongue at him. "You really _are _short."

"Stupid giant. Put your heels back on the ground!" she ordered jokingly, pushing his shoulders down until his knees were bent and he was eyelevel with her. She and James laughed before she hugged Lily. "You haven't killed him _yet_?"

"Well, I tried, but he's too hardy. I thought for sure that the leprechauns would finish it, but who had his nose pressed to my window again that night?"

"Should've known," Morgana nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "So, what's new?"

Lily and James exchanged a quick glance before Lily said, beaming, "Show us the house first. Believe me, it'll keep until then."

Morgana led them on a tour of each room, Lily asking about each paint sample that she had taped to the walls. She eagerly told them how she would be painting this week, provided her duties to the Order allowed.

By the time they had reached the stairs, James and Sirius were off in another room. Lily excitedly surveyed each room, one hand in her pocket, the other gesturing around at each piece of furniture. Once she had seen every room, they went downstairs. James and Sirius were in the living room, shooting sparks at each other while James sat in a chair across the room from Sirius on the couch.

"Hey, this room better not be in less-than-perfect-condition, Sir, or I'll hex you."

"Same for you, James," Lily said, giving him a warning look.

"Relax, Mums, it's like we were never even here," Sirius grinned at Lily and Morgana.

"Are you sure you want to call me 'Mum' again?" Morgana asked, trying hard to suppress her large smile. "I could very easily make you regret that in more ways than one."

Sirius yanked her onto his lap so that her legs were hanging over the arm rest of the couch and kissed her deeply.

"Kiss your mother with that mouth, Padfoot?" James chuckled. They quickly pulled away, Sirius laughing.

"I'll hex _you_ into oblivion, Prongs. That is the second time today that you've interrupted me."

"You'll get over it, I'm sure. And that one _was_ your fault. Walked right into it, mate."

"Hush up. What's this big news that you and Evans have been making us wait for? Did she finally get you a comb for that mop of yours? Because then this is clearly a build up over nothing, his hair looks just as terrible."

"Well your hair certainly hasn't changed in seven years, even with all those products in third year- why should mine?"

"Potter calling the kettle Black."

"Yeah? Your eyebrows are-"

"What is it, Lils?" Morgana said loudly while James and Sirius continued to banter.

"Well, the initial announcement was going to be that we're getting married, but if this keeps up-"

"Woah! Shut it!" Morgana added to Sirius, clapping her hands over his mouth. James stuck out his tongue and Sirius quickly gave one of Morgana's hands a gentle bite. She smacked his head with it. "Did I hear correctly? Say that again, Lils!"

"No one's going to be calling me 'Evans' anymore!" she said through her grinning teeth, shaking her head back and forth.

There was a moment in which the full meaning of the sentence was absorbed before Morgana clapped her hands over her own mouth, uttering an excited, whooping yell. Sirius punched the air, smirking as if he had just won his insult-war with James. Morgana and Lily met halfway and swayed back and forth in a tight hug, both beaming.

"Dammit, Prongs, you _stag_!"

"And you thought forms were all coincidence, Mr. Padfoot."

"Guess I _am_ just a mangy dog!" he howled with laughter.

"When are you guys thinking of having it?" Morgana asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Sometime in spring, I was thinking. James doesn't care when. You'll be the maid of honor, of course and Sirius'll be best man, if that's alright with you guys."

"Definitely!" Morgana nodded eagerly.

"A spring wedding… As long as you don't come to your senses by then, Lily-flower."

"Behave or I will, James," she said, throwing him a glare, but the corners of her mouth curled up.

"Ah, the wifey-look. You'll be getting that more and more. Bachelor days are over, mate," Sirius said, leaning back and tossing his feet onto the ottoman. A moment later, his feet bounced back up and then hit the floor. "_Do you know what this means, Mr. Prongs?!_" They exchanged awe-struck looks. And together shouted:

"BACHELOR PARTY!"

Morgana cringed and whispered in Lily's ear while she giggled: "You may need to redial those leprechauns…"

**OxO**

Morgana's eyes slowly opened to the golden sunlight. She was knotted into the sheets and could feel the cool cotton on every inch of her skin.

She turned her head to look at Sirius. He was on his stomach, his bare back moving slightly as he breathed. His face was perfectly still, sunlight illuminating his long lashes.

"Stop watching me, you creeper," he grumbled softly.

"I was admiring your prettiness," she informed him in a joking tone, reaching forward and playing with a lock of his hair.

"Prettiness…" he snorted, a tiny smile sneaking onto his mouth. "My hair's getting too long. You should cut it."

"I've never cut hair in my life! Except when I was three but that didn't turn out so well. My bangs looked like stairs and so did the ends of my hair. Mum gave me a pixie cut, but that didn't last- some nasty little girl told me I must have wanted to be a boy."

"Fortunately for me, you didn't," he said, his eyes never opening. "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty-six. We'll have to leave at about eight to get to Hogwarts."

"I don't have any other clothes here, do I?"

"Not that I know of."

"Let me go back to my place and get something clean and then I'll come back here. I'll just sneak in; the lovebirds won't even know I'm there. Did you see my shirt?" he asked, slipping his shoes on.

Morgana sat up as well, clutching the sheet to her and grabbing her wand with her other hand. "Erm… _Accio Sirius' shirt!_" A fraction of a second later, it flew into her face, causing Sirius to laugh.

"Smooth, very smooth."

"Shut it, you," she yawned.

He pulled the shirt on, now fully clothed, and kissed her nose. "I'll be right back. Don't do anything I'd do," he smiled, pulling back.

"Won't, promise. I love you."

He turned around and crossed the room in several strides, bruising his lips to hers for a moment before disappearing. "I love you more. Be back in a minute."

Morgana got up and slipped a robe on. She made her way downstairs, rummaging through the cabinets and the refrigerator. By the time Sirius returned, she was halfway done with breakfast.

"Pancakes?" he asked, entering the kitchen.

"I found some instant," she told him, shaking the box in her hand. "I have to get more food in this place; but, don't tell Steve or he'll buy our groceries until I'm fifty. Maybe I can go grocery shopping tomorrow."

"Anything I can do?"

"Set the table and… what else… coffee's started already."

"Where's the syrup?"

"Uh, right side of the cabinet above the sink. Top shelf."

"Here," Sirius said, taking the pan from her hands. "I hate to say it, but you should probably get dressed. I'll finish up."

She wrapped her arms around his stomach for a few moments before running upstairs to get changed. After little to no consideration whatsoever for her outfit, she returned to the kitchen, t-shirt, jeans, black robes, and comfy sneakers on. She sat cross-legged on her chair while Sirius set the pan in the sink. After stabbing a few small pancakes and pushing them onto her plate, she rubbed her eyes. "Were Lily and James up yet?"

"Yeah. I told them I was there so James didn't run in and kill me thinking I was a Death Eater."

"Good plan," she said, chewing thoughtfully. "Merlin, I can't believe they're engaged. It seems like we all just met."

"Seven years goes by fast, love."

"I remember when we fell asleep on the train when we met."

"I remember when we fell asleep in my bed after that one night I spent looking for you and James and Peter in the forest."

"We slept a lot," she grinned.

"Yeah, well, you won't hear me complaining."

"Same… Do you think…?"

"What?"

"Nevermind, it's stupid."

"What is it? Don't make me force it out of you."

She smiled, keeping her eyes on her plate. "I think… anytime we were sleepy or actually slept with each other (_sleep_ sleep, you pervert!)… I think… how can I say this?... I think we kinda bonded, for lack of a better word. It made me feel safer with you because… I don't know; it just did." She was blushing.

"I think I get what you mean. You trusted me more?"

"Yeah, I guess. Is that stupid?"

"Not at all."

Morgana continued to smile. They finished eating in silence.

"I think that the only time I've ever _really_ felt safe is with you."

"Well, then I'll have to stick around for a bit."

"You'd better be," she growled playfully. His eyes danced.

"Ready?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

It was perfectly warm in Hogsmeade on the way to the grounds. Morgana rolled up the sleeves on her robes before weaving her fingers with Sirius'. Her stomach was in knots, but she still managed to smile broadly and swing their arms back and forth. Sirius yanked her to his side, kissed her forehead, and then let them continue walking as normally as Morgana allowed.

"Here, let me," Sirius offered, taking out his wand and casting his patronus. "Yours would probably skip off whistling and blind Hagrid."

"You're not happy right now?"

"Of course I am. I can just suppress it better," he said, giving her a wicked smile.

"Oh, Mr. Self Control, are we?"

"Indeed."

"I'm comin', I'm comin'. Hullo, M'rgana, Sirius."

"Hagrid! How are you?" Morgana said brightly.

"I'm jus' fine. How're you?" Hagrid asked politely. Sirius had to suppress a chuckle when he saw how tiny Morgana looked compared to the giant on the other side of the iron gate.

"I'm very good, thanks. So, what are the first years like this year?" she asked eagerly while Hagrid searched through a tangle of keys larger than Morgana's head.

"Nuthin' t'be compared with the M'rauders, tha's fer sure. Can tell already." His eyes twinkled when he gave Sirius a quick wink.

"Yeah, I don't think history'll repeat itself there," Sirius said, grinning. Morgana saw that his eyes were unfocused, the grin not completely faded as he surely thought about the past seven years.

Hagrid unlocked the gate and let them through. "Tha's tha'. I'll stay here an' wait fer the others t' come, thar's a few more."

"Thanks Hagrid. See you later!" Morgana waved as she walked backward with Sirius to the castle.

"You know, seeing you by Hagrid… You're really short." Morgana looked up at the smirk on his mouth.

"Well… You're really… tall!"

"Oh-ho, creative today, I see."

"Shut it," she said, playfully slapping his head.

"You shut it." He gently pushed her. She pushed him back. He pushed her and jogged ahead, looking back at her. Morgana let out an outraged shriek and ran after him, jumping on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. He immediately gripped her legs as they clutched his stomach. Sirius began to laugh and she stretched her neck to kiss his cheek. Morgana flicked her wand and the large door opened just enough for them to get inside before it shut behind them.

"Oi! Lovebirds!" someone shouted.

"James Potter, must I hear your raucous calls two days in a row?" Morgana joked. Lily, James, Remus, Peter, Chris, and Allie were all in a group just inside the castle. She beamed at all of her friends. "Sirius, let me down."

"Nope. You're staying right here. I've got you right where I want you."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Git."

Remus came forward and patted Sirius on the shoulder before giving Morgana an awkward hug since she still had to grip Sirius with her legs. She pecked his cheek quickly. "Were you okay a few nights ago?" she asked quietly.

"I've seen better, but I've seen worse, too."

"Move aside, Rem, I want to hug her too!" Allie said in a fake whining tone after greeting Sirius.

Once everyone had been hugged and gotten a quick update on how they were all doing, they made their way up to Dumbledore's office. Sirius moved Morgana up so that she was sitting on his shoulders before they went up the stairs.

"Aw, look, you can look people in the eye now!" he teased. She tapped his chest with the toe of her shoe.

"Sirius thought that the comparison between Hagrid and me was hysterical," she explained.

"Well, you look like a hobbit compared to him, Padfoot, so don't make fun of the lady," James said in a matter-of-fact tone, causing mild laughter from the rest. "It's okay, short-stuff, I've got your back," he whispered to Morgana, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Thanks," she whispered back.

"Who's there?" someone barked. Simultaneously, the group turned around to see Argus Filch at the end of the hall.

"Well, hey there, friend. Long time, no see!" Sirius beamed. The caretaker looked as if he would drop dead. All color had vanished in his face.

"But… you're not supposed to be here! You're gone! You've graduated!"

"They let us back because of our good behavior. We were hoping to finish our second drawer in your filing cabinet."

"OH, FILCHY!"

Filch started, turning and bracing himself.

"Oh, bless… It's Peeves…" Remus said softly, a dreamy look on his face.

The poltergeist zoomed at Filch, letting out a spectacular raspberry by any standards. "Hold it!" he screeched, stopping in midair, an inch from James' nose. "My Marauders returned!"

"I trust you found the fireworks, my lord?" Sirius asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "And the dungbombs?"

"I found them all, good sirs," he said, dabbing his eyes and bowing deeply as he hung in midair. "None of your group shall be ever be pranked, harried, hit, hassled, pestered, mocked, annoyed, bugged, pinched, poked, or harassed by me."

"We appreciate it, Peeves. But please, send the attacks that would be ours on the rest of the school," Peter requested.

"All and then some. And your supplies will be put to good use."

"Thank you. You may return to your duties," Remus finished, waving him off. Peeves grinned and zoomed backward, turning a split second before he hit Filch to aim spit balls at him.

"You've earned the courtesies of Peeves the Poltergeist?" Lily asked, truly baffled. She looked as if every law of nature had been broken right in front of her eyes.

"You're engaged to a well-respected man, my dear Lily-flower."

"James Potter, I love you," she said softly, shaking her head in disbelief. James kissed her cheek and sympathetically patted her shoulder.

Morgana picked at a loose thread on Sirius' robes. She didn't even think about the Order until they were at Dumbledore's office and Sirius was letting her slide down from his shoulders.

"Anyone have the password?" Peter asked.

"Cockroach clusters," James told the griffin simply. It sprang aside and the staircase began to wind its way up. "After you, my dear," James ushered to Lily. Remus and Peter followed them, then Sirius. Morgana and Allie exchanged a 'here-goes-nothing' look and started up the stairs, Chris right behind them.

Lily hesitantly knocked on the door. The familiar _"Enter"_ from inside twisted Morgana's stomach into knots once more. She exhaled slowly and Sirius reached back for her hand. He squeezed it tightly and let her step up next to him.

"Ah, of course, my dear friends. How many are you?" Dumbledore said quietly, getting up from behind his desk.

"Eight. Should there be more?"

"Three more, as I planned. I'm sure they'll be here shortly. We'll get a few more chairs, shall we?" He conjured up a few more chairs while James, Lily, and Peter took the available three. "Here we are. Ah, Mr. Pettigrew, Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Miss le Fay, Mr. Lupin, Miss Etherson, Miss Handers- how are you all?"

There was a chorus of their responses- all synonyms for "fine."

The Headmaster surveyed each former student.

"Ah, Miss Evans. You seem to be ecstatic, in an even better mood than Miss le Fay who can't stop beaming. May I ask?"

"James proposed the day before yesterday," she said excitedly, eagerly showing Dumbledore the ring, the diamonds sparkling as she stretched her fingers. He glanced down at the ring and then back up at Lily while she continued to stare at her fingers as if the jewelry would vanish if it left her sight. Dumbledore's eyes were crinkled in a smile. "We're hoping to have the ceremony in the spring."

"That is very good news. I extend my sincerest congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," they said together.

There was a long silence. The few minutes weren't uncomfortable, but they were neutral enough that Morgana could clear her mind.

"Hello?"

Everyone turned to look at the door, Dumbledore smiled at the newcomers.

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Walker, how are you both?"

"Just fine , Professor. You?"

"Splendid. Here, take a seat." Two more chairs appeared near Chris.

"So, what's going on with everyone?" Frank asked, sitting down.

"Well, Lily's going to marry me," James offered. Alice's face lit up.

"Really?! That's fantastic, congrats! Um, Frank proposed, too," she said shyly. "About… oh, two weeks ago? Yeah, thanks," she added as she was bombarded with well wishes.

"Jeez, marriage is spreading like the kissing disease," Allie remarked, grinning broadly.

"Wow, Al, you're vocal today," observed Chris.

"Yeah, well, I had a row with my dad. I suppose I'm still coming down off of that."

"What about?" Sirius asked. Morgana noticed how Dumbledore's gaze switched from one person to the other, as if he was watching ping-pong.

"Dad's a muggle-born and he thinks that I'll be a bigger target because I have _dirty blood_."

"What about your mum?" Frank prompted.

"Left a few years ago."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. She wasn't Mum-of-the-Year material anyway, let's leave it at that." There was a pause. "Hey, we didn't see your ring, Alice!"

As if on cue, the eight got up and gathered around to look at the diamond on her finger. The wedding chat began almost immediately.

"We're going to shoot for December 1st. That was the day he asked me out on and we're hoping there's a tiny bit of snow on the ground. Just enough to look pretty."

"What about the dress?"

"My mum's old one."

"It'd be fun to get-"

Morgana took a few steps back. She wasn't great at planning things. She would let everyone else have their fun- her fun was just watching.

She folded her arms and looked up at all the portraits, briefly scanning the faces on the left side of the wall. She stopped before she could look at the left side though, bursting into a huge smile.

"Matt!" she said loudly, straightening immediately. He locked her gaze and laughed. Morgana ran up to him and hugged his neck.

"Hey, girlie, how's it going? You're looking well," he told her happily into her shoulder, eagerly returning the embrace

"You're in the Order?"

"Of course. I go where the action is. Hey guys; sorry I'm late," he said, moving to greet the others.

"Now that we're all here, are we ready to go over what you'll be doing?"

"Can't wait to hear," Sirius said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. They all sat down. Matt conjuring a chair so that he was between Remus and Morgana.

"Mr. McKinnon, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss Walker know what's going on. They can fill you in, ah, a bit more colorfully than I can in the details. You will, basically, be guarding two locations where Death Eaters are set to attack tonight. We'll send you out immediately, you can secure the areas, and prepare. Our goal is to bring in as many Death Eaters as possible and protect the innocents with as few injuries and no deaths."

"What's at these places that they need to get to?"

"It's our belief that they're going to murder as many as possible. They're taking out innocents in hope of causing mass panic in both the muggle and wizarding worlds."

"What exactly are these places?"

"One is a large boarding school mainly for orphans, the other is a hospital. There will be high protection on the buildings, but there is always a chance that they could get through and we cannot risk it. The boarding school is higher priority. There is less protection on it and we will have more help waiting at the hospital."

"So… pick your teams?" Sirius offered.

"And then you can break. There are two Portkeys in the Hog's Head. You are expected. I'd like three to go to the hospital. Caradoc Dearborn, Benji Fenwick, and the Prewett brothers will be there."

"Marauders, Morgana, Lily, Chris, and Allie in one group?" Sirius asked after looking around and seeing that most of the room had turned to him. There were nods and murmurs of agreement. "I just figure that the eight of us can play off each other the best."

"Can we stop and grab a drink before we split up?" Matt asked.

"I think it would be allowable," Dumbledore nodded, his eyes shining. "I wish you all the best of luck. Please call on the other group if there is need. You all know how to send your patronus?" More nods. "Excellent. Then, I will see you all later. Good luck."

There was a brief pause and then the eleven members got up and left the office.

"I'm buying the drinks. Call it. No one gets drunk today, though. Save that for later. Like the bachelor parties," James said, winking. The end-of-class bell rang a moment later.

"Everyone count with me now. Ten… nine… eight…" Sirius began. The moment he got to "one," he snapped and pointed his finger to the ceiling as someone called out:

"Hey, look who's back!"

"And the wolves descend…" Remus muttered to Morgana.

"You're the expert, Moony," she laughed back. He grinned.

"James! Hey, James! How's it going?!"

"McKinnon, long time no see!"

"Remember me, Sirius?"

"Lily, over here!"

Morgana felt as if she were on the red carpet. She half-expected camera flashes.

On the way down the staircases (it was a slow journey), she glanced around at all the familiar faces, smiling. Some waved back at her. She looked at the staircase a floor lower. The slighter, plainer version of Sirius in Slytherin robes met her gaze after taking his eyes off of his brother. She was unnerved- he looked so similar to Sirius, and, though there were many differences, her stomach jolted as she thought, for one instant, that Sirius was glaring up at her with contempt.

She glanced over at Sirius to see that he was quickly following her gaze. He spotted Regulus, turned to her and, smirking, kissed her deeply.

"Clearly you were the brother that got it all," she said quietly after they broke apart.

"Luck," he agreed, turning to look back down at his brother before showing an extremely rude hand gesture.

"Come on, you gits! Get to your classes! We've got things to do, places to be," James called ahead of her.

"Matt! Morgana! Sirius! Lily! Guys, over here!" someone shouted behind them. The voice was more urgent than the others.

Morgana turned to look behind her, though Allie and Chris were still pushing forward. "Marlene! Guys, hold up! Marlene's coming!" The group halted while she caught up.

"Hang on, I'm coming too," she announced.

"Uh-uh, no way. Get to class," Matt growled at her. "You have to stay in school, Mar."

"Not legally. I'm free. As of midnight last night, I can drop out."

"Over my dead body. What good can you do if you can't fight and protect yourself?!"

"I _can_, Matthew!" she spat at him. "I'm capable! I've been practicing nonstop! I'm ready."

"And what'll you do when you're looking for a job? Are you going to sell in Flourish and Blotts for the rest of your life?!"

"I don't care! I'm going to help!"

Matt looked around wildly, desperate.

"Marlene, come on," Sirius said diplomatically. "You _should_ stay."

"But I can help!"

"Mar," Morgana began. "Not today. We can't stop you but please… not today. We've got today under control. It's all figured out."

James added, "We've already had to turn some people down for today. We can't take anymore. Stay here for a while. It won't hurt." Morgana knew he was lying (however poorly) about turning people away, but it was for the best.

"The war's not going anywhere," Frank reminded her, darkly.

The look on her face clearly told them that Marlene knew she had lost the argument.

"You can't make me stay," she warned.

"Never said we could, but we have to go now and you have to stay here. Happy late birthday," Matt said quietly, turning and heading back down the stairs. Morgana gave Marlene an encouraging smile and followed the others down.

As usual, the Three Broomsticks was crowded. Getting a table, though, was easy enough once the group had enlisted the help of Rosemerta who eagerly sat down and began to have an animated conversation before her mother exasperatedly called her back to help at the counter.

"So, Matt… What've you been up to lately?" Chris asked after an hour, fluttering her eyelashes and leaning over a few seats down from Morgana. Matt exchanged a look with Morgana from directly across the table before turning to Chris.

"Ah, not much. Working at the Quidditch shop to make end's meet. Mum and Dad insist on helping out, but rent's not all that much."

"Have you been with the Order since you graduated, then?"

Matt nodded while taking a drink from his mug. "Aye. That's a full-time job on it's own. But Frank and Alice know all about that," he added to them, winking.

"Be right back," Sirius said quietly to Morgana, kissing her on the cheek. He left, sliding his chair out.

"So… wedding bells anytime soon, Miss le Fay?" Matt asked, his gaze following Sirius over the rim of his glass.

She snorted, covering her mouth. "Can you honestly see Sirius as a husband? Exactly."

"Do you _want_ him to propose?"

She sipped her butterbeer and traced the rim of the bottle with her finger, her brow furrowing in thought. "To be frank, I haven't really given it much of a thought. I don't think either of us is mature enough for that. I'm happy with how we are and I'll bet he is, too, so… if he wants to make it a more… if he wants the public to see it as a more serious relationship and decides to propose, that's great. If he wants us like this for whatever length of time, that's fantastic too. As long as I'm with him, I'm happy. I just can't see us running off and getting married next Thursday."

"Well, then, you two are the only non-engaged couple at the table. The rest of us are single gits."

"Aw, sorry about that."

"Whatcha gonna do? Single life's not too bad, though. I can't complain. I've had enough girlfriends since Hogwarts. The break's nice."

"Building the suspense for the single, female population?"

"Who said females were the only ones? Surely there's a bloke or two..." he joked.

She laughed quietly. "I missed you, Matt."

"You too, Ana. Everything's been going alright, though?"

"Beautifully. I've even got my own house now. You should stop over sometime."

"Yeah, I'll have to do that. And here he is now."

"Everyone ready?" Sirius asked, resting his hands on Morgana's shoulders. Several glasses and bottles raised and then lowered while their drinkers finished them off.

"Where's the Hog's Head?" Allie asked, looking a little confused.

"Toward the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Not the shiniest place in the world, but believe you me, it serves several purposes," James informed her, getting up. "Apparently, today's purpose is just another added to the list. I've got the tab, McKinnon, put that damn money away."

"I'm buying next time, then."

"We'll keep that in mind. Alrighty. Lead the gang over, then, Sirius."

"Right-o, Mr. Prongs," Sirius replied, bowing. "Come along, children. To the goat's pen we go."

"So, how long have you two been going out? Officially," Matt asked once everyone was outside. He and Morgana trailed behind the others while Sirius led them down the street.

"Two years on his birthday, the nineteenth."

"Seems like you two've been together a lot longer than that."

"Yeah, well, he insists that he fell in love with me when I nearly bowled him over at Platform 9¾. I started liking him the first few days of classes, you know, one of those cute, little schoolgirl crushes. _Really_ liked him in third year and… I don't know. I suppose it's rather complicated."

"Well, I think he's more mature with you."

They both looked ahead to where Sirius was hanging off of a lamppost reminiscent of _Singing in the Rain_ as he belted out an old muggle song.

"…He totally just did that to prove me wrong, didn't he?" Matt said after a moment of gawking.

"Hey, three years ago and he probably would have been wearing high heels and enchanting an unconscious Snape to do cartwheels around him."

"You may have a point."

The rest of the walk was in silence. James caught up to Morgana and Matt just before they entered the grungy pub.

"I was told that you guys have two Portkeys for us?" Sirius said to the odd looking man behind the counter. He was frail and his cheeks were so sunken that he looked as though he was sucking them in.

"You're the group Albus was sending?"

"The very same," Frank agreed.

"Follow me."

Sirius let Morgana catch up to him and they brought up the back of the group up the stairs.

"Hospital's on the left, school's on the right," the old man told them, flicking his wand so that two doors opened. "Pick your poison. You're off in… about twenty seconds."

"Thanks," Chris said distastefully, pushing into the room on the right which reeked of barn.

"See you later," Matt sighed, ruffling Morgana's hair.

She gripped his hand for a moment. "Be careful. I'm not going to come and save your arse like I did in Quidditch."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Sirius steered her into the more crowded room and shut the door behind them.

"Ooh, vase with a goat on it- lovely," Allie remarked, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, come on. We'll leave you behind. Hand on the ugly goat vase. Come on, get close, we're all friends here," James called, ushering Sirius and Morgana in. They squeezed in and pressed a finger on the vase.

"See you on the other side.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, well, well. The Dot's returned. For how long? No one knows.

Seriously, I'm pretty bummed at myself that it took this long to post. I kept rewriting it and was perpetually unhappy with it so I said, "Blast!" and took a break. By that time, I was like "Well, as long as I'm putting it off this far, I might as well get ahead a bit." So, I'm partially through the next few chapters and managed to get caught up on everything else. So, what?, a year-and-a-half later? Here I am. All jazzed up for the new year and ready to turn over a new leaf!

As a gift for my inexcusable… lateness in posting, I'd like you all to check out my profile which contains a link to a nice little playlist to go along with this fic. You know you're excited. Playlist is subject to change and will be added to when I so feel. Wanna complain about a song or even request one? Drop me a PM please and I will be more than happy to consider. Not saying I'll make the change, but hey, you never know with me.

Review, PM, review, reread, review- reviews and PMs make me write a bit faster, you know.

Alrighty, my loves. In the words of Ahnold… "I'll be back."

_-dot. _


	19. As We Know It

**A/N:** All right, folks, let's try this again. : )

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

_**Chapter 19-…As We Know It**_

* * *

"Sirius?" Morgana whispered in a panic.

"That was just me being clumsy, relax," Sirius said softly back.

They were patrolling the highest floor of the boarding school, save the wings. The eaves from the roof slanted all the way to the floor; large windows were cut into the walls and roofing. The point of the ceiling was magnificently tall, but the room was completely bare, allowing the moonlight to pour onto the floor uninterrupted as Morgana and Sirius paced, always directly opposite of one another. She guessed, from the time that had passed since the clock tolled and the dull throb in her feet, that it was nearly two in the morning.

There were several other stations throughout the boarding school. Lily and James were watching from the north and east wings, respectively; Chris and Allie guarded the south and west wings; Remus, completely silent, patrolled the forest; Peter was a lookout in the large tower where he could see above the tree line and past the woods; and Morgana and Sirius looked down on the grounds. The room was huge- less of a room and more of a hall than anything.

"I doubt there'll be much action tonight, Morgana. They would have done something by now."

"You keep saying that, but I'm telling you, they'll come. I can feel it."

"Oh, be optimistic," he chastised gently.

"Seer!" she sang, pausing to point at herself. Sirius gave her a look to tell her he was unconvinced. "Remember when you always used to say I was part Seer? Trust me on this one."

"I trust you; I just don't trust my pre-teen intuition."

She snorted. "If only you trusted it at all. You were far less… irksome, then. It was endearing rather than annoying like your nearly-nineteen-year-old intuition," she teased, grinning. Her face fell once more and she began pacing again.

"Oh, come on. Just-"

"Sh!" she hushed, stopping abruptly to stare onto the grounds. "Someone's out there." Sirius was at her side in a half-second.

"It's just Remus."

"He shouldn't be this close to the building. Something's up."

They watched the figure disappear into deeper woods. A minute later, Remus's Patronus shot into the room.

"They're coming. I'll be to the school in a minute. Call Frank's group. Get ready to fight," Remus's voice commanded.

"I told you! I bloody _told_ you and you didn't listen! _You're such a freaking man_!" Morgana exclaimed as they sprinted from the room.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sirius's Patronus shot out of his wand and disappeared instantly as it raced to the hospital. Sirius ran at the banister and slid down it, Morgana copying him. She never thought that _that_ time waster from Hogwarts would pay off during the war.

"Are we sure that every room's completely secure?" she shouted.

"And soundproof, I reckon," he called back to her, grinning.

Their feet hit the ground running. Morgana quickly passed Sirius, her shoes slipping and skidding on the marble floors as she scrambled around corners, flying to the front doors where Lily, James, Chris, and Allie were waiting.

"Are we-" Morgana cut off while someone pounded from outside the door.

"It's Remus and Peter, let us in!" Remus said through the door.

"How do we know it's you, Moony?" James called.

"Allie… Allie, I asked you out on February 12th on the way to the Owlery. Remember?"

"Let them in! Let them in!" Allie exclaimed.

"Did you send for the others?" he asked Sirius once inside.

"Yes, the moment we got your message. How long until they're here?" Sirius replied.

"Five minutes, tops. I'm guessing about twenty of them, but I can't be sure. There's probably more. I'd bet on it."

"Merlin, they've got us more than doubled," Lily whimpered, letting her head fall and clasping the back of her hair.

"We can try to wait inside for as long as we can. Set a spot or two to try to get them before they get us. We won't have long. Stun them, knock them out, I don't care if you have to pull their ears until they faint- do what you have to," Sirius commanded, sweeping down the hall. "I'll try to bring one or two down from the window over there. James, come with me. Lily, Peter, Chris, Allie: split and cover this front face of the school, the others go to the south side and try to hex anyone from that direction. Morgana, go with Remus to the west side and shoot from the windows. When the time's right and you've done all you can do inside, go out through these doors and shout to let the others know. The longer this building can protect us, the better. The others will be here soon," he called over his shoulder.

Morgana glanced at the remaining faces and gripped Allie's hand, which was closest to her. Remus tugged at her arm and she let Allie's hand slip away, running after him.

"Don't let them get you. Switch windows, go after different targets, aim well- quality rather than quantity- and, for Merlin's sake, _duck_," Remus instructed, tapping his wand on the bottom left pane in each window, vanishing them as he walked by. "Don't make me have to explain anything to Sirius."

"I won't," she said forcefully, stepping up to a window.

"I'm praying that it works out that way," he murmured, taking his position. "Okay, get ready. See that? They're almost to the clearing." He paused. "Are you afraid?"

"Not as long as the adrenaline holds out," she growled, looking over at Remus who was wearing a small, proud smile.

"On my word," he commanded gently. She heard him exhale deeply. "Wait until they're a little closer. Keep steady, Morgana."

The dark shapes glided a little closer to the school, very slowly.

"Come on, you filthy, ignorant… vile… disgusting bigots," he whispered. "Get ready… wait… wait for it… _GO_!"

Morgana shot a stunning spell at the Death Eater closest to her side. She missed but aimed again and the black figure crumpled to the grass. Immediately, the others began to move, crouching and blindly shooting curses at the building, most reflecting off of the brick. She could hear the walls cracking and crumbling on the outside. How many could they take down before their barrier failed?

She dashed to another window, aiming several spells at the forms before scuttling two windows down. She peeked over the sill of the pane, sticking her wand out just enough to aim at one of the Death Eaters that was a bit more stationary. Both her stunner and Remus' hit the enemy at the same time- it rose up a few inches and then flew backward, the bone white mask falling off as its owner hit the ground. An instant later, there was a deafening crack and Remus was crouching behind her, his arms holding her protectively as razor sharp shards of brick flew in all directions.

"We have to move to the front."

"We only got three!"

"Better than nothing! Three out of seven is pretty damn good. We have to get to the others to make it to the grounds!"

She shot one last spell at a larger Death Eater, the hem of its robes igniting before she bolted after Remus to the front lobby.

"Didn't expect to see you all so soon!" James shouted at the pair, Sirius on his heels.

"These walls are too old- they're hardly any use. We got three out of seven," Remus told him as Allie and Chris sprinted to them.

"We only got one from the nine on our side! There was glass everywhere," Allie said, her voice shaking as Morgana noticed the small, multiple scratches on the girls' faces.

"Sirius and I win- four from eight!"

"I got three out of nine!" Lily called. Peter was several strides behind her.

"Twenty-two left…" Morgana breathed, terror replacing the adrenaline. "More than two each…"

"There's that abandoned house near the church on the west grounds," Remus told them. "We have to try to make it there. Most of the western wall is blown out, that's where Morgana and I came from. Let's go out that way and try to lead them there. It'll keep them away from the kids at least. Hopefully the others will be here soon. They'll be able to find us."

James led the group down the hall, sprinting.

"Morgana," Sirius sighed once she had caught up with him. "You're okay? No hits?"

"No, I'm fine."

"How many did you get?"

"One and Remus and I hit another at the same time."

"That's my girl. Get ready, love."

They burst into the night air, Chris and Peter at their heels.

Without delay, the air cracked and flashed with spells. Sirius kept close watch on Morgana, never more than arm's length from her.

"Keep moving, Morgana!" Sirius shouted at her. "We're going to get left behind!" Lily, James, and the others were at least fifteen yards away and they kept moving.

"I'm trying!"

"No, you're not! Not hard enough! You're going to get us killed!"

Anger coursed through her and, in a second, she disarmed and stunned the Death Eater she had been fighting before jumping in front of Sirius and hexing his Death Eater.

"You want to rephrase that, Black, because you're really pissing me off tonight!" she shouted in his face.

He broke into a wide grin. "I love you."

"Git," she growled, dragging him off to run another ten yards before they had to duel once more. She felt hot pain sear at her head. "Dammit!" Morgana roared, aiming several hexes and a stunning spell at one Death Eater so that when he fell back, his face was covered in boils that began bursting and growing back.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it. Get going. We're behind again."

"Are you-"

"Move, Sirius! I can take care of myself, no offense!" They both ganged up on Sirius's opponents and raced to the group, finally catching up with them. Everyone was fighting at least two Death Eaters. Lily, James, Remus, and Allie each had three. Morgana noticed that Chris was favoring her left side and leaning on Peter for support as they fought side-by-side.

"Morgana, help Lily," Sirius yelled, running to help Remus who was getting pushed back farther and farther.

"How's it going?" Morgana said, jumping in next to Lily.

"Oh, Merlin, thank you!"

"Anytime."

Lily threw a curse at one Death Eater and he was knocked out in an instant.

"There're more! They're at the school!" Peter shouted.

The battle seemed to freeze for a moment, eyes from both sides turning to see the ten or so silhouettes in the distance illuminated by their own curses as every spell that had been put up in protection of the school was stripped away. Would the two spells that Dumbledore had cast even work?

The split second distraction gave Morgana an advantage and she quickly overpowered the smaller Death Eater she and Lily had been battling. As if on cue, the brawl ensued once more.

"Go help Allie! I'll take care of this one…" Morgana suggested to Lily through gritted teeth, circling the cloaked man like a wolf. He had to be seven feet tall and weigh more than the four Marauders combined. Morgana would be able to dodge him and move faster than he would.

'_And I was a Seeker,'_ she thought, internally grinning.

"Take care of me, will you?" he laughed, a huge booming sound. "Is this all Dumbledore could spare for the lives of hundreds of children? Eight baby-faced students?"

"Really? And what's good ol' Uncle Voldie got up his sleeve? An oversized oaf with two left feet and bratwursts for fingers? What'd he have to do to get you to join? Offer you a cookie factory?"

"We're going to win this."

"Yeah, well, don't count your chickens before they hatch. Of course, they're probably just one big omelet to you," she taunted before aiming two of the nastier hexes she knew. He dodged them with surprising ease.

"If I'm such a huge target, why can't you hit me, midget? _Avada-_"

"Shut up!" she shouted, waving her wand with no particular spell in mind. He broke off, clawing at his throat for air. "_Stupefy_!" The man toppled. She ran over to him and kicked his beefy stomach in anger. "Piece of -!"

She whipped around as someone shouted in pain. James crumpled into a ball on the grass, motionless.

"Prongs!" Sirius roared, his face contorted in rage, abandoning Remus (who was now holding his own) and leaping over James to take his place. "I'm a bit annoyed with you gits, you know!"

Lily ran to tend to James and Morgana replaced her to help Allie who was now fighting four. She was battling with her left hand, her right arm limp at her side.

"Hey, you!" Morgana screamed, conjuring a rock to repeatedly bludgeon one of the Death Eaters while another slashed his wand through the air. Morgana's legs felt as if they were on fire and she fell to the ground. She struggled to get up with one arm, shooting hex after hex at the opponents, her heart pounding in her ears and for a moment, her mind was blank.

_It was all moving so fast_.

She shook her head and dodged several more curses, shooting off her own as she gritted her teeth, her breaths hissing out as she panted.

Morgana saw one of Allie's adversaries fly backward and hit a tree, sliding down its trunk to move no more.

"Yes!" Allie yelled, eagerly dueling her other at an even faster pace.

"Peter!" Chris shrieked from behind her. Morgana's opponents refused to let her see what was going on with her friends. She heard Chris whimpering.

"_Stupefy!_" another voice shouted. There were two more flashes of red light before Morgana heard someone next to her.

"Hey, girlie."

"Matt!"

"Share your friends, Ana. It's not nice to hog them all to yourself."

"Be my guest."

Matt took over the trickier Death Eater, leaving Morgana with the quicker one who had simpler spells.

"And Peter?" she asked, dread in her stomach as sweat formed on her brow.

"He's moving."

She sighed in relief and speeded up the duel, her feet never still as she rocked back and forth on her tiptoes; the small jumps reminded her of ballet classes when she was little. It was a constant dance.

"Give it up!" the Death Eater shouted. Morgana noticed the strain in the male's voice and she smiled a little.

"After you, sir!" she called, turning a duck into a bow.

"Move toward the school again," Matt said in a low voice to her.

"Are you sure that's wise?" she asked, a hint of a snarl in her voice as she continued to fight, another cut appearing on her face.

"If more show up, I want to be there."

"What about the kids?"

"We'll put more charms on the building. I think more of ours will be coming too, so-" he broke off and split away from her by several strides as if he had been pulled.

She backed up and side-stepped toward him, turning her back to the school. James was in the thick of things once more, fighting back-to-back with Sirius. Lily was dueling madly, her face splashed with blood. Remus and Chris were together next to the slowly stirring lump that was Peter while Allie held her own several yards away. She noticed a few other unmasked duelers, at least seven or eight more Death Eaters.

There was a huge flash of light and the ground shook as the air cracked behind Morgana. She was thrown to the ground, stunned momentarily. Flipping over and jumping up, her heart stopped.

_There were more._

Death Eaters seemed to seep from the darkness, illuminated only by the flickering light that was a fire taking over half of the forest closest to Morgana. There was no way to get out. The entire mission had failed. They couldn't fight. They had lost.

"Morgana, run!" Matt shouted, pulling her by the hand. She could see the other Order members sprinting toward the church in the distance, away from the school, shooting spells over their shoulders. Morgana stunned the Death Eater she had been fighting and bolted after Matt, clutching to his hand for dear life.

"But the kids-!"

"We'd be killed just as easily as them! We'll get more back here as soon as we can! _Run_!"

She released his hand to throw hexes behind them. Morgana tore ahead until she was next to Sirius.

"All right?" Sirius asked her in a shout.

"Never better. You?"

"Fantastic."

In front of her, Lily was hit in the leg and fell, but James didn't miss a beat in hauling her off of the ground and dragging her forward. Two Order men with flaming red hair to Morgana's immediate left were running backwards and laughing with each other as they shot hexes. They appeared to be twins. Matt had moved ahead and was half-supporting, half-carrying Peter, slowing slightly. The church was very close now, mere seconds and they would be there…

Once Sirius and Morgana were in, Remus and James slammed the doors shut, sending pews to barricade them.

"The only way we can hope to get out of here is if we can sneak out into the forest and get past the anti-Apparation barrier. It's about twenty yards into the woods," Frank told them, climbing onto a radiator to peek out the window. He hopped down silently. "We're surrounded," he whispered, coming to the group.

"How many?" Morgana turned her eyes to one of the men who had been laughing. He was tall and skinny, handsome with red hair. The other man was next to him, clearly his twin.

"Too many. They're all here."

"Any chance we'd make it out?" Caradoc asked.

"Not without losing a few of us."

Morgana looked around the room. Lily and James stood across from her, clutching each others' hands. They were going to be married in a few months. Allie stood in between Chris and Benjy Fenwick, all with blank looks on their faces- Chris and Allie, the opposites who were hardly ever separated and Benjy, the cheery Hufflepuff who had walked next to Morgana at graduation. Peter was leaning against a pew, his mouth hanging open as he panted and wheezed. Caradoc Dearborn looked utterly desperate- had he even told Rosemerta that he was fighting tonight? Matt had one arm folded, his other fist at his lips. Was he thinking of how glad he was that Marlene had stayed at school? Frank had his arm around Alice and rested his cheek on her short hair: another wedding that might have to be cancelled. A stately looking woman in emerald green knotted her fingers into her blonde hair, sighing. The laughing twins both had the same look of determined thought, their brows furrowed deeply.

And then there was Sirius. Morgana felt his hand resting on the small of her back. It seemed that that spot was the only place in her body that had any feeling left in it. Twenty-four short hours ago she had been curled up in her bed sheets and sleeping next to him, perfectly and utterly happy. Now, both of them were covered in scratches and blood and bruises, huddled in a church with friends and complete strangers, surrounded by enemies on all sides. It seemed as if they had been on these grounds for years, but on the other hand, it felt like everything had gone by in a matter of seconds. Had Hogwarts really been just a few short months ago?

Hogwarts. Right now, there were students asleep in their beds, safe and untroubled. There was definitely a girl staying up to study or think of a boy- after all, another girl had certainly cried herself to sleep over the same one that night. There was probably a group of several of the older students sneaking around a common room setting up a prank as the Marauders had done, unaware that their heroes were crowded together, waiting to be attacked. There were sixth and seventh years thinking of the war and wishing they were there. Morgana would bet anything that Marlene was still brooding and planning how to get out while her brother and friends stood together, afraid of what would become of them all.

Alyssa Gardener and Quidditch and exams and teachers and homework and dating seemed so trivial now. School had been so safe that, looking back, it was hysterical. Even running with a werewolf once a month would have been welcomed now. It had been easy to brew potions in warm, comfy rooms and sneak around the school with friends in an Invisibility Cloak, now they would be-

"James, do you have the Cloak?" Morgana whispered suddenly, barely making a sound.

"Yeah, why?"

"What cloak?" one of the twins asked.

"Invisibility Cloak."

"Dumbledore lent us one from Mad-Eye Moody," the same twin murmured, shoving his hand into his robes and bringing out the silvery fabric. "He just got it."

"Chris, go see if there's an exit somewhere near the back, see if they have anyone out there," Morgana commanded. Chris ran off immediately. "This church is spectacularly old. My parents took me to one just like it when I was little. They showed us how it had these hidden doors leading outside. Maybe this one's like it too. How many will your cloak hold?" she added at the redhead.

"Four maybe, if we tried. Why?"

"We need to get everyone disillusioned and get them under the cloaks and to the old house. It's right next to the woods, they'll be fine once they get there and it'll save time rather than getting everyone to the barrier right away."

"That's great, but we won't all fit."

"If one person brings it back, yes we will."

"It'll take at least three trips."

"Peter and I can transform!" she said after a few moments. "We'll be small enough, there'll be plenty of room. We could each go with a cloak and bring it back for the next group. We should be able to make it in two trips. Even if our feet show, they'll be hard as hell to see since it's dark."

"That might work," the other twin said, nodding at her. "They're waiting for us to start the fight since they know there's no way we can win. They don't want to work any harder than they have to. We're their entertainment."

"Exactly! Who knows how to Disillusion?" she asked eagerly.

"What do you mean that you and Peter could transform, though?" Matt asked.

"Disillusion me and I'll show you."

Matt stepped forward and hit his wand on the top of her head. She felt a cool sensation drip down her and, once it made it to her feet, she transformed.

"It's illegal, McKinnon, don't kid yourself. Peter's a rat, too," Sirius explained.

"That's amazing… when did this even…?"

"A couple of years back. We were-"

"Guys, there's a door in back!" Chris mouthed, running in. "What now?"

Once the twins, the blonde woman, and Matt had disillusioned them all and Peter had transformed, they went to the back of the church, Lily, James, Sirius, and Morgana under James's cloak and Chris, Allie, Alice, Frank, and Peter the rat under the other.

"Come here, love," Sirius said, holding out his arms and bending over to pick up Morgana. "Don't want you getting under foot."

The door seemed to have been out of use for years, but Frank tapped the hinges with his wand to make sure they were silent. It was hidden by a large tree next to it, making it easy to slip out of.

Morgana, curled into Sirius's chest, peered over at the Death Eaters guarding the windows. They were unnervingly still, like statues.

"Almost there," Sirius breathed into her ear.

She felt a little relief when he made it inside the backdoor of the old house. Though they had been completely out of sight, she hated them being exposed like that. She hopped down from his arms and changed back again as the other group made it in.

"I'll be right back," she said, pulling the cloak around her like a blanket.

"You'd better be," Sirius growled, kissing her cheek.

The cloak flowed out behind her when she reached the night air. It was incredibly hard to see where the door was in the dark; it blended in perfectly with the wall.

"Peter, go with Matt, Remus, and…" Morgana trailed off, looking at the blonde woman.

"Emmeline. Emmeline Vance."

"Right, take Emmeline as well. Caradoc and… you two can take this one with me."

"I'm Gideon," the twin closest to her said, offering his hand.

"Fabian Prewett, older of the Prewett twins," the other said, taking Morgana's hand and grinning at his brother.

"Morgana le Fay."

"Just remember, Miss le Fay, that Gideon's the better looking one. G for gorgeous."

"And the one who has to work on getting a _grip_ on reality," Fabian chortled quietly.

"Guys, I'm all for making new friends, but let's get out of here. I've got some statues floating over there to trick them but…"

"Right-o, Mr. Dearborn. Do you want one of us to carry you?" Gideon directed at Morgana.

"Only if you don't think you can get there quickly without tripping on me," she whispered before transforming. Gideon held out his arms and Morgana hopped up, allowing him to tuck her under his arm.

"On we go, gentlemen and ladies."

Morgana looked over at the Death Eaters once more. There were only three at the side of the building, six missing. Maybe they had rearranged to attack the church…

"They must have gone in a bit more," Gideon breathed once they entered the house, dropping Morgana so she could transform under the cloak.

"Something's wrong. Sirius would wait here for me…" Her heart raced and she felt sick.

Next to them, Peter emerged from the cloak. The room exploded in movement. Morgana's mouth opened to scream, but Caradoc covered it with his hand and dragged the four of them back to the wall. In a matter of moments, Peter, Remus, Emmeline, and Matt were bound and gagged, a thin Death Eater holding their wands.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" she cooed, circling the room, her bone mask glinting in the rays of moonlight that leaked through the gaps in the boarded windows. Her teeth shone like the mask and her pale skin was only a few shades darker, making her look completely like a skull. "Ollie, ollie oxen free!" Her heeled boots clicked their way to the door and she locked it, grinning.

"Maybe they made it out and are-" a deep voice began in the background, but she cut him off.

"Don't be a fool, Travers! Of course they're in here! Our friends are just a little shy," she added sweetly, turning her back to the four Order members under the cloak. "Aren't you, sweeties?"

Caradoc moved his foot slightly as a Death Eater passed him. The old floor instantly gave a loud creak and the cloak flew off before Morgana had even realized what had happened. The men were petrified immediately

"Four new friends! And one little girl to three little boys- naughty, naughty little… oh, is it who I think it is? Dear cousin's little whore?"

Morgana's blood boiled as looked at the Death Eater. "Bella… long time, no see," she said coolly, trying to inch her hand to the back of her jeans where her wand was tucked. She was debating- to attack would mean to be disarmed almost immediately. Not to would mean…

"Boys, have you met Morgana le Fay? _This_ is what caught cousin's eye…" she added in a disgusted tone. Bellatrix wrapped her arm around Morgana as if they were old friends, her nails digging into Morgana's shoulder while three others tied up Caradoc, Fabian, and Gideon. The Death Eater tilted Morgana's arm forward, making sure she couldn't reach her wand. "Hands were I can see, darling.

"He wanted this little string bean? She's not worthy of a pureblood," one laughed.

"Oh no, Little Miss is of excellent blood status- direct descendant of _the_ Morgana le Fay. What a terrible waste."

"I could take you one-on-one _any day_, Bella."

"She _is _a jokester, isn't she?" Bellatrix screeched, pinching her cheek.

"One of my vast genetic traits."

"Enough, chit-chat. I'm being a terrible hostess. We'll have some very important guests arriving and I'm sure that all of you would like to see your friends. Miss le Fay seems terrible under-accessorized, though. Cousin Bella will take care of that." Ropes tied her hands and feet together, a scarf wrapped covered Morgana's mouth; Bellatrix sneered before waving her wand at Morgana. She flew up the stairs and landed hard on the floor, winded and feeling her left shoulder crunch sickeningly, causing her to bite down on the scarf, tears in her eyes as a sob escaped her. She saw stars and turned her head when she heard scuffling. Sirius was struggling with his Death Eater to get over to her. He, too, was bound and gagged. Morgana seemed to be in the middle of the circle. Sirius caught her gaze and gave her a determined look as the others flew into the room from downstairs, the candlelight flickering.

"Oh no, you don't!" Bellatrix growled, yanking Morgana across the room, as far from Sirius as possible, between Fabian and Caradoc. "You can't sit next to your boyfriend! And no lovey-dovey eyes- there'll be no happily-ever-afters tonight. Now, where's your wand? Don't make my friends do a cavity search…"

Bellatrix moved Morgana slightly to expose the back of her jeans. Once the wand was gone from her belt, she felt utterly powerless. They would never get out of this one…

"Let's pass the time with a little game, shall we? How about Duck, Duck, Goose, hm? Yes, that sounds like fun," she cooed. "Lucius, would you like to be It?"

"I'm afraid, Bella, that I would pick entirely the wrong person. If you want something done right, do it yourself," said a cool voice to Morgana's immediate right.

"Ah, but which little one to choose? I always _have_ been indecisive, haven't I, dear cousin?" she directed at Sirius. "Oh, but remember all the fun games we used to play? You never seemed to like them much- always crying like a little girl when I played with you. Regulus was always a much better sport… and he still is."

Sirius looked ready to kill her and struggled at his bonds. Morgana's heart thudded at the mention of Regulus and she silently urged Sirius to look at her and calm. His gaze never left his cousin.

"You always used to fight the muggle way- that's what _really_ brought you down. You punched and kicked when you could have just let your anger do the work- you were young, you had no control over your magic yet. But, no. Then Andromeda poisoned and coddled you and you kept fighting like the muggles you so love and adore. Mudbloods too, you seem to have a fondness for. I wonder if Miss le Fay is _really_ the only little girl in this room who's kept you company at night…"

Now James struggled on the floor, staring at Bellatrix with as much hate as Morgana.

"Enough, Bella," an inhuman voice said from the doorway. Morgana craned her neck slightly to see a translucent face (if you could call it that) with gleaming red eyes. There was no nose and thin lips curled back to reveal gleaming teeth as a snake slithered from behind the figure's bare feet. Bellatrix immediately fell to them as Morgana felt something rise in her throat. "Anger will cloud their judgment."

"My Lord…"

"Get up," he commanded, pushing her away with his foot. Morgana's blood ran cold as Voldemort stepped into the room. "Fourteen members of the Order of the Phoenix against my forty-three Death Eaters… I don't know whether that says more for my side or for Dumbledore's." He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of each Order member. "Either way, he will be fourteen short after tonight.

"My Death Eaters have told me that, while your plan was worthless, your fighting was extraordinary. Am I correct in saying also that nine of you are recent graduates as well? Now _that_… is admirable. But Lord Voldemort does not come tonight to shower you with praises. No... I come to you to offer most generously a glorious opportunity.

"I am looking for witches and wizards of your caliber. Brave, loyal, intelligent… I will win this. It would do you all a great deal of good to realize that now. The less magical blood that is spilled… the better it will be for us all. You will join or you will die- hardly a choice if you possess a brain."

He was met by fourteen glares.

"Red hair, green eyes… you must be Lily Evans. Yes, Lord Voldemort has heard your name."

Lily's eyes widened for a second before her expression turned stony once more. Voldemort stroked her cheek and the gag disappeared, revealing Lily's mouth, twisted in disgust.

"You fought very well, I see from the minds of my followers. Four to your one for an astonishing amount of time… Your parents must be remarkable."

"She's a Mudblood, My Lord. Not a drop in her veins," Bellatrix hissed. Voldemort retracted his hand slightly, fingers quickly curling down one by one.

"Are we really sure of this? If we were to test her…" he murmured, pondering.

"Don't waste your time. There is _nothing_ that would make me consider joining the likes of you," she spat.

"There is magic in this world, magic that I _know_, that would make you change your mind. I could rip that opposition right out of your head."

"Then. Do. It," she snarled in his face, calling his bluff. Voldemort smirked and stood, drawing his wand.

"Try it, you coward, and I'll make you wish you'd never been born," James growled, his gag hanging around his neck. Voldemort turned to face him.

"And you are…?"

"James Potter: pureblood and unworthy of the dirt on Lily Evans's muggle-born feet."

"Well, James, what do you say? Make the proper friends, accept my offer..."

"Oh, yeah, definitely. You'll just have to wait until Tuesday though. I'm expecting a shipment of pigs to fly out of my arse and I really don't want to make new _friends_ until I can _offer_ them some fine pork-based products. Do excuse, you pile of dung," he added, mumbling the last bit under his breath.

"This isn't a game."

"Really, because I was on the Quidditch team for a couple of years and we talked_ a lot_ about winners and losers. Mind you, we didn't kill and torture innocents, but, hey, we all have our quirks."

"Enough!" He flicked his wand and a stronger-looking gag appeared on James. "Next?" Frank and Alice just stared at him once they were able to talk. Their eyes were unquestionable. "Very well, then… You."

Sirius.

"This is my cousin, My Lord. I've told you of him. His girlfriend's the little brunette by the door… if that would be of any use…" Bellatrix hissed rapidly, smirking.

"It may, Bella…" he said softly, turning to face Morgana. "This one? Hm…"

"Morgana le Fay. She said she'd be an Auror once _they_ won."

"Never, then. Well…" Voldemort freed Sirius's mouth and flicked his wand, dragging Morgana to the middle of the circle. Sirius watched her move across the wood, his mouth in a tight line. "And you claim to care for her?" Voldemort asked. Sirius continued to silently look on. "You realize, of course, that being the most powerful wizard in the world, I will either make or take your life. And the lives of the ones you love…" He turned and looked down at Morgana, tilting his head to the side like a mildly interested child. "You see, I could make any one of you experience some of the worst pain imaginable. Favoring that shoulder?" he added to Morgana. He brought his wand down in a sweeping motion and Morgana curled up, her shoulder crunching and crumpling like a paper bag as her ropes and gag disappeared. Her robes hung loose in a sickening dent around her shoulder as the bones splintered and seemed to turn to powder in her body. She screamed in pain, her forehead pressed to the ground, chin tucked into her knees. Tears mingled with dust on the floor as she moaned and cried, Sirius's face rivaling the agony in her own, shouting in protest. He was silenced quickly.

"_Tell him to join me_…" Voldemort hissed in Morgana's head. "_Tell him that it's the only way. If he saves himself, he'll convince the others to do the same. Tell him that it hurts too much not to. Say 'If you love me…'"_

Morgana tried to fight the urge to move her mouth, but she was too weak, and the floating fog was too easy to slip into.

"Sirius… you have to join. It's the only way we can be together…" her voice croaked desperately. Sirius's eyes widened. "It would be so much easier."

"You don't want that," he said softly.

"I don't want it to hurt anymore. We have to."

"Ana?" Lily whimpered, panicky.

"It's not her. He's making her say it," Sirius whispered, his eyes never leaving her as she stared at him, pleading.

"Please, Sirius… Just do it. If you love me, you'll do this."

"Stop," he murmured.

"We could have a family, a life. It would only be hard for a little while. Just a little while and we could… we could be happy… Please…"

"No! Shut it!" he roared suddenly. Several Death Eaters were startled and Morgana stirred, fighting the curse.

"Stop it…" she muttered groggily. "Shut up…"

"Morgana?" Sirius said, a little more hopeful.

"Get the _hell_ out of my head, Noseless Wonder," she growled, her voice laced with pain as she tried to sit up, failing and falling back to the ground, panting and crying.

"Your resistance will be _his_ pain, then," Voldemort said, taking Sirius from the circle and to the center. He moved Morgana just out of reach, inside the circle, but too far from the center to touch Sirius.

Morgana began to plead in agony, "No. No, please!" She tried to get up again, but was pushed down by the Death Eater nearest to her.

Sirius' gag disappeared and he spat at Voldemort's feet as the Dark Wizard raised his wand. Sirius grew still. His lips moved, but no sound came out, as if he were in a trance. Suddenly, he snapped his head back.

"What the _hell_! I've got enough voices in there without yours. My _lord_ you're annoying! Honestly, no wonder no one likes you. Cut it out. You just made Morgana say the exact same thing! Get some origi-" he exclaimed before Voldemort swished his wand, cutting him off.

"You _dare_ tell me?"

"People are not disposable. They were born and they're living and trying to continue with their lives. What in the world gives you the right to stop them from making mistakes and getting mad at people and uprooting the world? You don't _get_ to take them off of this Earth. You haven't _earned _that," Sirius said quickly. He had to buy them time and pray that James or one of the others had a plan.

"You fool! You could have thrived in our new world! You would have been powerful and had all you desired, yet the old man has tainted your mind. What a waste. Your life for his spineless ideas!"

Sirius looked over at Morgana, her face contorted in pain from her shoulder. He could tell that she could hardly move and that her shivering caused her even more agony, yet she managed a tiny trace of a smile for him.

'_It's all right, sweetheart,'_ she tried to tell him. _'It'll be over soon, whether they find us or not. At least we tried.'_ Somehow, she knew he understood her perfectly.

"_Crucio!"_ Voldemort hissed causing Sirius to writhe on the ground, crying out in pain. When Voldemort repeated the curse, Sirius was prepared and remained quiet, though the curse was more intense. He felt his cheek bleed as he accidentally bit down on it and heard Morgana protesting and crying and the others scuffling, but they were silenced quickly enough.

Sirius knew what would happen. He would be tortured a while longer and then killed. Voldemort would tell the others to look at Morgana's pain, maybe even James', and see the misery which could be caused. Morgana, no doubt, would be in the greatest agony and Voldemort might even kill her, either to prove a point or make himself seem merciful by putting her out of her misery. Sirius could handle his death, but not hers.

So, he decided to continue his defiance and buy them all time by remaining silent, concentrating even harder now. He found it easier when he thought of his friends rather than himself, he could control himself better by thinking, _'Do this for James. Do this for Remus. Peter. Lily. Morgana.'_

After either a few minutes or a few years of torture (though, admittedly, the latter seemed more accurate), Voldemort stopped and raised his wand.

"Final words, Sirius Black?"

He struggled to breathe for several moments before he took a final look at Morgana, her pretty face pale and covered in tears.

"Morgana… beautiful… I'm so sorry, but I'd rather be a martyr than a murderer."

"No, Sirius," she whispered. "No… _NO!_" she screamed, standing up like lightning and throwing herself over Sirius before the Death Eaters could even react.

At the same instant, James had pushed himself into Voldemort, sending the killing curse into the wall as the dark wizard shot a different curse at Sirius. Instead, Morgana was flung head first into the opposite wall where she slid to the floor and moved no more.

"Morgana, no!" Sirius howled, staring horrified at her completely still form. "Help her! Let me go! Untie me!"

"Enough! Lucius, keep a better eye on Potter! As for you, Black, I want you to watch her life slip away," Voldemort shrieked, sending Sirius to Morgana and walking up to the two of them. "I want you to watch the blood seep from her and know that, each moment, as her heart tries so valiantly to keep her alive, it will only kill her that much quicker. Watch her fade away into nothingness as the blood leaves her body through that gash in her pretty little skull. How much longer does she have, Black? Two minutes? One? Perhaps only moments? Or maybe, she's already gone and she bleeds only because the traitorous blood has nowhere else to go... All of this because you refuse."

Voldemort's inhuman voice was only distant background noise, just like Bellatrix's whispers or the occasional scuff of a tennis shoe on the wood floor or a faint sob. He heard nothing but the space which was supposed to be filled by Morgana- her voice, her laugh, her cry, her heartbeat. The silence was deafening and he felt as if he would go mad.

"Morgana, wake up! Come on, you can't let him win! Wake up, you're okay! Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!" he whispered to her.

"I've already won, Black. If you decide quickly, I could spare your life and, if you beg, hers. Just think: she could live with you. You two could get married and live in a world where you don't have to run from me- you'd be with me. If you wished, she could even give you children and never have to battle. After all, those children would be the future of our race; they would be her contribution. You have to choose quickly. Her life and their lives are slipping away, all by your hand."

"They slip away by _your_ hand, Tom," a new voice said. Dumbledore stepped into the candlelight. "You couldn't save her if you wanted to."

The ropes holding the Order members vanished and their wands flew to them. Immediately, the battle began again. The room erupted in light.

Sirius slipped between Voldemort's feet as he began to battle Dumbledore. Gently, Sirius cradled Morgana in his arms, trying to heal her head. He stopped the bleeding first and then healed the wound. Praying and kissing her blood soaked hair.

"Please, not her. She can't die. Morgana, you heard me: he doesn't get you. He doesn't get to take your life. Prove him wrong!"

His fingers pressed her neck and desperately searched for a pulse. He moved to her wrists and found nothing. Frantically, he pressed his ear to her chest, but her constant heartbeat was silent.

"_Ennervate! Ennervate!_"

Nothing changed. She was still silent, motionless, lifeless.

Morgana was dead.

He hugged her tightly, screaming into her neck. She was young, happy; she had laughed a few hours ago; she was all around him- her smell, her hair, her blood, her skin- and yet she had never been farther away. Old, sad, sick people were supposed to die- not her, not Morgana.

"Take me instead, I'll do anything. _Anything_. It's not her time."

Nothing made sense. His voice was shouting and then whispering. Somehow, he was talking without trying to. The grief was unbearable.

"Little miss bumped her head and couldn't get up in the morning…" Bellatrix sang behind him.

Temporarily, rage replaced the grief and forced him to gently rest Morgana on the floor, kissing her hand. He rose slowly and turned to face his cousin.

"That spell was meant for me!"

"Don't worry, cousin, you'll see her soon."

They began to duel fiercely. Sirius had never dueled so hard in his life and he could tell he was making Bellatrix sweat. She led him down the stairs and out to the woods, her feet never stopping their dance, but he was out for blood.

"It's either you or me, Bella!" he shouted. "One of us isn't making it out of this alive!"

"What do you have left? Her funeral? There's nothing to keep _you_ alive!" she shrieked.

Shocked, he stopped for a fraction of a moment- long enough for Bellatrix to slip into the shadows and lose her cousin. "Get back here, _coward!_" he screamed, running after her. _"Nox_," he whispered, not wanting Bellatrix to track the light of his wand. Blind, he sprinted through the woods, taking turns whenever he heard a twig snap. His heart began to pound; he could feel that he had lost her. Disoriented by the screams in the distance and the surrounding dark, broken only by the shards of stars above him, he called out, "Come on, Bella! Show yourself!"

"I know where you are. It's not my fault you lost _me_," she hissed, her voice all around him.

"Where am I, then? Huh? _Where am I, you bitch?_"

A small rock sharply hit him in the back of the head.

"_Lumos!"_ he shouted and whirled around but was startled by an earsplitting crack. Something huge forced him to the ground and pinned him down, crushing his entire left side. Crying in pain, he pounded on the weight, feeling the rough bark of the tree.

"I suppose you'll be seeing your precious Morgana in hell soon, cousin," Bellatrix cackled, coming into view. "I send my love."

She left him and he tried to scream, but it was to no avail. He vaguely understood that his left lung had collapsed and he would die soon, a small comfort since the pain was excruciating.

But he didn't want to die like this! Every instinct was telling him to try to save himself, even if it meant living while Morgana was dead. She wouldn't want this- she wanted him to live.

So he pushed at the tree for Morgana with all his might, though it didn't move an inch and only hurt him more. His wand had flown a few feet from him, the light still pointing in the direction Bellatrix had gone.

"Help me, Morgana… Help…" he panted, tears pouring down his face. "God, please… save me, love."

He opened his eyes and felt the ground with his right hand, grabbing a thin branch about the length from Sirius to the wand. He scraped it toward the wand, just barely out of reach. He stretched farther and farther, whimpering and swearing as the pain intensified. He dropped his arm and gave up, allowing his eyes to close.

'_I'm so sorry, love. I can't do it. It hurts too much.'_

'_Please, Sirius. You can do it!'_ he imagined her encouraging words. He could see her sitting on the tree which pinned him down, her hair flowing down her back, bare legs glowing in the faint light from his wand. Her expression was desperate, pleading as she wrung the skirt of her cream dress in anxiety in one hand, the other barely brushing his cheek.

'_It's too much.'_

Her face turned deadly and her eyes flamed in rage. _'Oh, really? Maybe it was too much for me. You don't think it hurt when he shattered my shoulder? When my bones turned to dust and splinters? I was tortured, I was Imperiused, and I still managed to get up and save you, Sirius. With the last bit of strength I had and the knowledge that it would kill me to get up, I gave my life for you!'_

'_You were always stronger than me.'_

Morgana fell to her knees, enraged and nearing hysterics as she exclaimed in his face, _'That's it, then? I die so you can go and die ten minutes later yourself? How _dare_ you give up like that! Throw away my life and yours because of pain? I hurt, too! How can you let this happen?'_

'_I can't move! I can't breathe!'_

'_I can't either anymore!_' she screamed, full of agony. She backed away from him and he immediately missed her warmth and wished she would come back. Her voice was hard and disappointed_. 'I guess you're not who I thought you are. I guess you're not the man I love, then. He wouldn't let me die for nothing.'_

He screwed up his face, ashamed. Was it only his imagination, or was she really talking to him? Regardless, his eyes snapped open and he took the branch, quickly hitting the wand with it, shrieking in the instant pain, and then dragging it toward him. Within a few minutes, the wand was in reach, but things were becoming blacker and blacker, he was losing consciousness and it wouldn't be sleep he would fall into. His heart beat faster and faster until it became painful. The wand was cool in his hand as he pointed it at a rock. "_Portus."_ The rock glowed briefly before he gripped it along with his wand, waiting. The blankness pressed harder and harder until the pressure was as great as the tree's. Then, he could fight no longer.

**OxO**

The Healers wheeled Sirius through a pure white hallway and into a small room, three of them casting spells on his chest at the same time.

"He's going into cardiac arrest, quick!" one ordered, tearing his shirt open.

"If we don't get that lung fixed, it won't do any good."

"A lung's not going to be of any help if he's dead! Regulate the beat _now_!" the first woman commanded, pressing Sirius' shoulders into the gurney. "Go."

The second Healer firmly pressed his wand above Sirius' heart, murmuring a spell and causing his patient to convulse violently for several seconds before relaxing. "Beat's stable."

"Good. _Now_ you can fix the damn lung. Someone try to track down a family member."

"His wallet says his name is Sirius Black," a younger Healer informed her.

"Check his records and get in contact with someone."

"Healer Fern?" another Healer asked, poking his head into the room. "The lobby's loaded with injuries who just came in. We need you."

"How many?"

"Nine or ten, at least. I didn't get a good count."

"Merlin," Healer Fern muttered, running out to the lobby. A group of young witches and wizards were huddled together, examining each others' injuries and hugging each other. "Okay, who's in worse shape here?" she called over their voices. Her team quickly tended to the people the group pointed out. "We can take care of the rest of you one at a time, but-"

"Please, we're looking for two of our friends!" a young, red-haired woman said frantically. "Allie Etherson and Sirius Black. They're our age. Allie is-"

"We've just had a Sirius Black come in, but there haven't been any young women in for at least an hour."

"Is he okay? Oh, God, where's Allie?"

"What the hell happened to him? His arms and legs are crushed, he's got a collapsed lung, went into cardiac arrest…"

The woman was taken away to have a gash healed on her head and Healer Fern went back to see about Sirius.

"He was awake for a few seconds and said 'Morgana.' Is there a woman with that name out there?" a Healer asked, running her wand along Sirius' ribs.

"Not that I know of., but there were four women out there- one of them could be her. We'll let them get everyone patched up first. He won't know the difference anyway," Fern sighed, nodding to the unconscious Sirius. She drifted from the room, back to the lobby where the receptionist was rubbing her eyes and sorting out paperwork, a pile for each of the new patients and then flicking her wand, sending one to each room.

"Where'd all these kids come from? Are they even old enough to be out of school yet?" the receptionist asked.

"Haven't a clue. The first boy who came in… half the bones in his body are splinters. What was going on?"

"Could they be fr-?" Fern was cut off as a quiet _pop_ echoed in the now-silent lobby. Albus Dumbledore held a brunette girl in his arms. She was covered in blood and didn't appear to be breathing.

"Ah, Abbey Fern. This is Morgana le Fay. I managed to get her heart a bit steadier, but it's far too weak. You may need to look at her head, as well, and her shoulder's a mess," he said calmly, conjuring a gurney and setting Morgana on it.

Fern sprinted off, wheeling her down the hall, summoning others as she went. She set about to examining Morgana's head while the others stabilized her heart and tried to fix her shoulder.

"We'll need to regrow her scapula. The muscles are torn, so we'll heal them and might have to be in a sling for a day or two. How's her head?"

"No more bleeding. Whoever healed her up did it properly. She lost a lot of blood, though. Her heart?"

"Getting there, slowly but surely. Let's get a few more units in her to give her heart something to pump, though."

"Is she with the others who came in?"

"Well, that Sirius was asking for someone named Morgana and they know Sirius, so I'd imagine," Fern explained.

"There's a man in the room next door who only had to get a few cuts and bruises healed- should I ask him about her?"

"Yeah, why not. If he wants, he can hold her hand- poor thing'll probably need it."

The young girl left and returned a few minutes later after Morgana was finally healed, still unconscious. A tall, handsome young man with brown hair walked in, eyes wide at the sight of the woman in the bed.

"Is she…?"

"She's alive."

He ran to her bedside and grabbed her hand in both of his, holding it to his heart. "Morgana… God, you gave us a scare! It's Matt, girlie. I'm here. I'm sure you'll see Sirius, too," he whispered to her sleeping form. Gently, he brushed the hair from her face and conjured a cloth and bowl of water to wipe the blood from her face, whispering his relief to her. Once her face was clean, he turned to the Healers. "Thank you so much. I can't… honestly… We'd be lost without her."

"Let her rest, keep things quiet," Fern instructed.

"Is there any way we could get her transferred to Sirius Black's room? She nearly died for him and… I mean, he's her boyfriend and all. They were sweethearts at Hogwarts. They live together. They're hardly ever apart. They're-"

"Once he's stable, we'll move her in, okay?" Fern cut him off, looking both annoyed and amused at his care for the girl.

"She'll be okay, though? You fixed her shoulder, right? I know she lost a lot of blood- is that a transfusion you're doing? Do you need more blood? We might be the same-"

"I think so, yes, yes, and no, we've got enough. I'm going to go check on Sirius' progress now, if you'll excuse me," she said, shutting the door behind her, leaving Matt alone with the sleeping Morgana.

"Sirius is going to be _so_ unbelievably happy when he finds out you're alive- just like I am. I didn't know what I was going to do without you, girlie. You're…" his voice faded away as he realized how relieved he really was. "I won't leave you, don't worry. You're safe now, Dumbledore saw to that. Thank God for him."

Two hours passed as Matt watched the blood flow to Morgana's vein extremely slowly before he heard footsteps hurrying to the door which clicked open several seconds later.

"Matt? Were they telling the truth? Is she… Oh my God…" Lily breathed, frantically limping to the side of the bed. "They won't let any visitors in for Sirius yet but they told me… She's alive?"

"Yes. They think she'll be just fine. They have to run a transfusion and her shoulder is being regrown."

"And her head? She had to hit it pretty hard."

"I've told you all they've told me."

"Poor dear," Lily cooed, sitting on the edge of her bed and stroking Morgana's hair. Lily bent down and kissed her hair gently. Matt still refused to release her hand.

"How're the others?"

"James is better, Remus is worse than him, they're still working on Peter, Frank and Alice and Emmeline and the Prewetts are talking to Dumbledore, and Caradoc's trying to keep Chris from going too mad. If we don't leave soon, they'll have to sedate her."

"Still no Allie? I'm sorry," he added quickly, noting Lily's expression.

"So much went wrong tonight. I… I don't even know if we saved those kids or not. We can't _lose_ anyone, Matt."

"We'll find her. We got Morgana back and it was _Voldemort_ who nearly killed her- anything's possible."

"But every moment it becomes even more improbable. They're going to get search parties together soon, but so many of the rest of the Order went up to the school… It's just us to find her until they get back and everyone's so beat up. No one's been released yet, the parents don't know…"

"I'll help. Someone should stay with Morgana and Sirius, though. I've no idea when either will wake up and I don't want anything to happen. Someone'll need to explain things to them."

"Let that be Remus. He has to stay behind because of injuries and he'd be too impulsive to find Allie. You know how much he…"

Matt winced and looked back down at Morgana. "I know exactly."

Lily smiled. "Morgana knows, too. She'll understand."

Matt looked up just as Healer Fern appeared at the door again. "We've finished treating Sirius. He's still asleep, but we can transfer Morgana to his room if that would be easier for them and you lot."

"Yeah, definitely," Matt said as Morgana's bed began to wheel into the hall and into Sirius' room.

"Any idea when he'll be awake?" Lily asked.

"He's got a lot of potion in him to keep the pain down, so he won't be completely coherent, but he should be awake pretty quick here."

"And Morgana?"

"Well, I've had Skele-Grow before and… unless she's _really_ out, she'll be awake when that kicks in. That won't be long either."

Matt made a disgusted expression. "That stuff's brutal for a while. Mar accidentally vanished all the bones in my foot when we were little."

"When she comes to, try to make sure she doesn't move much until a Healer sees her."

"Clearly you haven't met Morgana," Matt smiled. "The moment she finds out Sirius is hurt, she'll be fixing him."

"Keep her from it."

They entered Sirius' room and Fern closed the door behind the two. Sirius was in a bed on the far side of the room, Morgana's about five feet away. His face was bruised and cut and half of his body appeared to be bandaged. His chest rose and fell rapidly and his face held an expression of discomfort.

"Oh, Sir," Lily whispered, taking his uninjured hand. "Morgana's going to have a field day when she sees you. She gets to play doctor."

"And the Healer thinks we'll be able to restrain her. Yeah, if she's in a coma for the rest of her days," Matt snorted, causing Lily to smile. "And then there'll be her conflict of wanting to baby Sirius while simultaneously finding Allie."

"Perhaps the solution would be to tote him around as a dog in one of those cute carrier bags."

"Oh, most assuredly," he replied immediately; Lily laughed a little, but he grew serious. "I don't think the rest of us should know about the Animagi. You guys and the Marauders- cool. But I think we need to keep that on a minimum."

"You're probably right. I thought about that myself."

"It's just not ideal. I mean, if someone were to be captured or let it slip to someone else…" He sat back in his chair, watching Morgana, a small smile on his face. "I sort of like thinking of her like that, though. It was a shock. It just… It's this new part of her- I mean, what else don't I know, huh?" he chuckled.

"Well, we could let you keep that if we modified the rest of the memory, I suppose," Lily said knowingly, tugging the sheet up to Morgana's chin.

"You think?"

Lily just gave him a small smile before saying, "She's moving a bit. She'll be up soon."

Morgana's hand slowly crept up to her injured shoulder and she made whimpering noises in her throat.

"Lily, turn the lights down. She'll open her eyes easier, then."

Lily dimmed the lights and then took her place back at the edge of Morgana's bed, holding her hand comfortingly as Morgana began to stir. Her head slowly tilted from side to side, her face screwing up in pain.

"Morgana? Morgana? Sweetheart, it's Lily. Can you hear me? Are you awake?"

"Lils? Wh…"

"Dumbledore brought you in- he saved you. You nearly died, but you'll be fine. You're at St. Mungo's. They've been healing you. You're getting better with blood transfusions, but your bones have to be regrown in your shoulder."

"Which explains the burny, stabby, achy pain in my shoulder…" she grumbled, mumbling something incoherent before her eyes snapped open. "Sirius?"

Lily tilted her head and Morgana looked to the right, sighing in relief. "He'll be okay after a bit of recovery. A whole bunch of his bones were pulverized, but those will heal."

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up quickly and wincing, closing her eyes. "Ugh, my head…"

"Well, dear, you _did_ hit it rather hard."

Morgana turned green and pointed to the floor by the table. Without missing a beat, Matt gave her the trash bin and she vomited in it before falling back onto the pillows.

"I'll get a Healer," Lily soothed before running from the room. Matt replaced her at Morgana's side.

"Close your eyes, relax, Sirius is fine. No one knows what really happened to him. He should be awake soon."

"And the others?"

"Fine, they're fine."

"Matt."

"Honestly."

"Matthew McKinnon," she warned, sensing his tone.

"Morgana Caroline Antoinette Harmons le Fay," he said in the same tone. Morgana rolled her eyes, knowing he was trying to drop the subject. "Don't upset yourself or you'll hurl again. Everyone's alive to my knowledge."

She gritted her teeth and growled, "And how far's that go? Exactly how knowledgeable are you? Shock me."

"_Cálmate por favor_!I'm bilingual- how's _that_ for shocking knowledge?" he said, trying to change the subject.

"Español? Seriamente? Quizas alemán o francés próximo, muchacho. Puedo correr círculos alrededor a ti en cualquier idioma!"

"Erm… Ganas."

"Of course, I win. Mum worked in International Cooperation, I was multilingual before Hogwarts," she sighed. "I'm sorry, Matt. I shouldn't be so short with you."

"The only person you wouldn't be short with would be five or a house elf," he snorted.

"I walked into that one, didn't I? Here we go again," she grumbled, grabbing the bin and getting sick again. After a few seconds of panting, she lowered it and rested again. "Help me up?" she asked, reaching for Matt.

"No way. You stay right there."

"I want to see Sirius."

"Look. Right there. No need to play Mum to everyone who's ill."

"I don't play Mum to everyone who's ill!"

"Like hell you don't. You'll be a Healer, not an Auror, I can see it now. Cool it."

"I need to help."

"I know you've a need to play Healer. Relax or I'll poke your shoulder and you don't want that."

"Matt! Let me up!" she said angrily.

"What's going on?" Healer Fern had entered again. "You'll need to calm down, dear, or you'll get hurt. Let me look you over."

Morgana threw a glare at Matt as he gave her an I-told-you-so look.

"Your vomiting is probably from the combination of potions. It's not unusual, especially after your blood loss."

"Is it normal for her to be speaking in tongues after hitting her head?" Matt asked, a bit of a snap in his voice.

"Depends on where she was hit. Is it gibberish?"

"Spanish mixed with an irritable dialect, I'd reckon, but I'm no linguist."

"I am _not_ irritable!" she said indignantly.

"Could've fooled me."

"_I think_," Fern began loudly, quieting the others, "that everyone is under quite a bit of pressure here and needs to have a bit more patience with each other. Miss le Fay, would you _please_ stop turning your head when I'm examining your eyes! Here, drink this. It'll make the vomiting subside a little, but you might become drowsy. I'll let you sit up, then."

"Sirius is starting to wake up," Matt noticed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Probably all the noise. You alright, mate?"

Sirius groaned and swore under his breath. "Jeez, what the hell happened to me…? Did I lose a bet with Hagrid?"

"We're not sure, but you broke half of your bones," Matt told him.

"Hmm? Oh… right… Oh…" he whispered, remembering. He shut his eyes and covered his face with his good arm. "She's dead… It's all my fault. It should've been me."

Matt exhaled in a whistle and made a _well, yeah_ expression before speaking. "You're talking about Morgana being all… dead and corpse-y, right? Yeah, that was a bit of a downer. On the plus side, dead and corpse-y just isn't what it was a few years ago. They don't seem to _kill_ them like they used to, wouldn't you say?" he asked, turning around and no longer blocking Sirius' sight. His eyes widened when he saw the bed next to him.

"Nauseous is the new lifeless, I hear tell," Morgana joked before looking at Sirius, no longer angry. "And apparently you would make one God-awful coroner, Sir."

"I… I'm dead. You died and you're here which means…" he tried to reason.

"Correct. Well, except for the fact that I didn't die and neither did you, yeah. I certainly hope we didn't all die, because I still feel like utter crap."

"But… your heart was stopped."

Fern shook her head. "She just lost a lot of blood. Dumbledore dropped her off and said that her heartbeat was very weak, but he managed to get her strong enough to travel. Even when he brought her here, it was quiet. You wouldn't have been able to find the beat."

"Turns out, a brush with death makes our young Morgana _ever_ so snarky," Matt said, sitting down in a chair between the two beds.

"Perhaps some of Death's biting wit rubbed off on me during our brief glimpse of one another."

"And what did he have to say to you?"

"Matt, stop distracting me. What happened, Sirius?"

Healer Fern began to examine his eyes and mouth as he said simply, "I chased Bella and a tree fell on top of me."

"_A tree?_" the four said in unison.

"I'm not so sure that its bark was worse than its bite."

"Well, you seem to be doing incredibly well considering all that. If you need anything else, just call," Fern said, bowing out.

"How are the others?" Sirius asked once she had closed the door. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's alive," Matt repeated, much to Morgana's annoyance.

"Lily?" Sirius asked, turning his gaze to the redhead.

"Well… Allie hasn't come back yet," Lily said quietly.

"_What_?" Morgana and Sirius said in unison.

"This is why we kept quiet. You two need to relax!" she said, anxious. Morgana and Sirius just stared at her, waiting for an explanation. "Look, no one's been able to be officially released yet, so we can't go out. Not that we'd be all that much good- ten injured people out there without a clue as to where she is. All we know is that the rest of the Order showed up at the boarding school just after we left- Dumbledore came in and told me when he dropped you off, Ana. He said the Death Eaters were retreating but he didn't say anything about the kids or Allie… I told him she hadn't shown up yet. He said that he'd check around and would call in people to help him look at the boarding school."

"It's been _hours_," Morgana said breathlessly.

"I know. I've argued with the Healers but…"

"How are you here, then? Aren't you supposed to be in your room if you're still a patient?"

"Well, I shouted at the receptionist and she's working on the paperwork to get Matt, Chris, Emmeline, Caradoc, the Prewetts, Frank, Alice, Benjy, James, and me released. Remus isn't supposed to be walking, but he is. Peter's supposed to be resting, but he's not. You're supposed to be keeping calm, but you're not. No one's doing what they ought to. The whole of St. Mungo's now believes me to be the biggest pain in the arse," she said, smiling weakly. "They want us out, but it's still taking too long."

"Is there any chance she showed up at Hogwarts or something?"

"I've honestly got no clue. They've brought in the Ministry, you know. Except, the five wizards from Magical Law Enforcement are being used to keep us in the hospital rather than find her. None of them will go to our parents or anyone to see if they've heard anything and they've put up an Anti-Apparation barrier… We've tried everything- we can't contact anyone. Until we're released, we're seen as uncooperative patients. Once we _are_ released, the hospital can't do much. We're all ready to go, though. All they need to do is say the word and we're out of here."

"When was the last time anyone saw her?"

"We started clearing out of the house once Dumbledore came and we fought on the grounds, but you know how outnumbered we were. We all scattered into the woods and started Apparating here. Morgana, we can't lose her!" Lily whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Shh," she soothed, hugging Lily, staring at Sirius over her friend's shoulder. "We won't. I'm sure she's fine. She'll tell us how we've all been worried over nothing. She's probably having a drink by Rosemerta."

"For two hours?"

"Who knows, Lils? Look, we're going to find her. They can't have her. You know they would make a huge deal out of it if they captured one of ours."

"That's right," Matt said, bracingly, although he didn't look very convinced. "She might've just been hit by a stray stunner and no one found her."

They broke apart and Lily wiped her eyes. "Maybe. You're probably right. Enough chit-chat. I'll go yell at the receptionist some more," she growled. "I won't leave her until she hands me the paperwork."

"Atta girl."

Lily nodded determinedly and left the room. Immediately, Morgana swung her legs out of bed and tried to stand.

"I don't-" Matt began.

"With or without you, Matt," she grimaced, feeling dizzy as she stood. Matt half-carried her until she was sitting on the edge of Sirius' bed, kissing his forehead. "You've been strangely silent," she remarked gently.

"You're safe. I can't believe it. You're alive!"

"Never been anything else," she smiled. It faded, though, as she heard a man shouting in the lobby. She looked at Matt and he gave her a confused expression, walking out and closing the door behind him. "What on earth-?"

"Stay right here," Sirius ordered, grabbing her hand as she made to get up. "You won't make it to the door."

For the next two minutes, they strained their ears to hear the argument, but could make out no words. Morgana's heart began to pound louder and louder, quickening even more when Matt burst in once more.

"That was Allie's father. Dumbledore talked to him and he's finally got our release, so we're leaving right now," he said quickly before running back down the hall again.

Morgana stumbled to the door as fast as she could, just in time to see Chris sprint past her, a snarl on her face. "Remus?" she called, taking advantage of the commotion.

"In here," someone shouted across the hall and to her left. Leaning heavily against the wall, she snuck into the room, just in time for Remus to open the door, on crutches.

"Allie's father-" she began.

"I know. Which room are you in?" he asked.

She led back to the room, snapping the door shut behind him.

"How's Wormtail?" Sirius asked when he got in.

"They had to give him a Sleeping Draught, he was too anxious, but he'll be better within the week. I'm on these for two days. They said no weight on it, but…" he trailed off, not interested in idle conversation.

"Do you know how the fight went once we left?"

"I was the only one who was hurt badly, the Death Eaters retreated, the kids were fine. Gideon came back in and told me. He said that Dumbledore checked the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade, she's not at her dad's place or Chris' or anyone's. The only place they're looking is the boarding school. After that…" he trailed off, his voice becoming more and more strained. "All the parents, the Order, even a few of the Hogwarts professors are looking."

"Sit down, you look faint," she said, easing him onto her bed. He winced and buried his head in his hands. Just seeing him so hopeless was draining.

"So do you," Sirius whispered when she sat back down. Admittedly, she felt as if she would be sick again, but she took the glass of ice water Sirius offered and drank it all quickly, shivering as it hit her empty stomach.

"They'll find her, I'm sure of it," she told them, trying to be optimistic and giving Remus a small smile, though he did not see it. "Allie's very capable and very sharp. I'm sure she's fine."

"They would cause a huge scene if they caught one of us," Sirius told him, parroting Morgana from earlier. "Everything tonight was a scare tactic- that's why they were targeting these muggles. If they failed at that, they would make a big deal out of capturing someone. We would know by now."

"Exactly," Morgana agreed quietly, though her stomach still tied into knots at the thought of Allie. "She just got knocked out and they left her. The worst that'll happen is a concussion."

"I love her," Remus croaked, hardly hearing them. "We just got back together- she has to come back. We haven't even told anyone yet. She was so excited…"

Morgana lost her voice for a second and felt a rush of panic before composing herself. "She'll come home to us," Morgana whispered, feeling her eyes burn. "She'll be back before you know it. She'll come home to _you_."

"Allison… Allison…" Remus whispered.

Sirius kissed Morgana's hand and she curled up next to him, shutting her eyes tight to keep from crying. They ached from holding back tears and being under the harsh hospital lights and all of the potions she had been given made her feel as if she hadn't slept in days. She began to count how many times Remus whispered Allie's name, but then remembered no more.

**OxO**

Morgana woke up to the sounds of a woman shrieking and sat bolt upright. Remus uncovered his face and looked up at her. She flashed her gaze to the clock— not even an hour had gone by since they left. She looked back at Remus and they both stood up and made their way as quickly to the door as they could, limping and stumbling along.

"The lobby…" Remus whispered when they got to the empty hall.

In the back of her mind, Morgana knew who the wordless screams belonged to— Chris.

Unstable, she sprinted down the hall, Remus on her heels, though she didn't know how he could move so fast with his knee in the condition it was in. They rounded the corner and pushed through the doors to see the Order and several other adults in clusters. One of the Prewett twins stood closest to Morgana and grabbed her forearm, both keeping her away from the group and holding her steady.

Lily was sobbing heavily into James' chest only a few feet away, several of the mothers and female Order members were crying. Everyone else looked pale and sickened, some holding looks of disgust. Caradoc Dearborn was sitting on the floor against the receptionist's desk, crying unashamedly. Morgana's parents and Steve hovered near the exit with a few other people, namely the Potters and a woman who reminded Morgana of Frank Longbottom. Everyone's eyes were fixed on five people in the direct center of the lobby. Two Healers and Mr. and Mrs. Handers were attempting to restrain Chris as she writhed on the floor, screeching so terribly that Morgana wasn't sure how her vocal chords had survived. She was clawing at her face and neck and blood vessels in her eyes had burst from her shrieks, turning the normal white to red. Spit trailed from her mouth onto the floor as she sobbed, entirely covered in mud, her clothes torn and her hair more knotted than it had been when she left. The look she held, though, was far worse. Her face was contorted in utter agony and grief and she looked as if she had gone insane. Her screams echoed deafeningly against the marble floor and the echoes mingled with her new wails.

Morgana's head spun more than ever and she heard one of the Prewett boys telling her from a thousand miles away, "We found her… I'm so sorry… She's dead."

She fell back but, instead of hitting a wall, someone caught her and held her close. She took in a shuddering breath and looked up at Matt.

"No…" she whimpered.

"We were too late."

"No," she sobbed, barely audible over Chris' screams.

"We need you all to clear out. Back to your room, Miss le Fay, come on," Healer Fern urged, gently pushing people toward the door which led to the hallway Morgana and Remus had just come from. The Prewetts led on and Matt followed, carrying Morgana bridal style. She caught a glimpse of Remus through her tears; he stood rooted in the same spot as before, staring at nothing, looking as if he was slowly being tortured. His chest rapidly rose and fell and tears streamed down his cheeks. A woman, his mother, walked over to him and embraced him, though he remained unmoved. Morgana ached even more for his loss and clung to Matt's neck tighter than ever. He hugged her back, whispering to her as she sobbed.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. But she's in a better place. She's not in pain— she's happy."

"She should be _here_," Morgana gasped. "Allie…"

"I'm so sorry. She was so good; she was a fantastic person."

Remus began to scream from the lobby.

Matt closed the door behind them, drowning out Remus' cries, and laid Morgana on the bed, pulling a sheet over her and moving her bed right up to Sirius'.

"We found her in the woods of the boarding school," Matt told him, his voice tired.

"She's…?"

"Yes."

"Jeez, Al…" Sirius brushed his fingers comfortingly across Morgana's back, but she ignored him, facing away from him and curling up, continuing to sob harder and harder. Sirius was silent, leaving her to her thoughts. Allie occupied her mind.

Closing her eyes, a vision of Allie at breakfast during Hogwarts hit her like a truck. She was seventeen or eighteen, her light brown hair falling in natural waves around her face as her eyes glittered and crinkled with a laugh. Sun poured in from the windows and the tips of her eyelashes glowed golden. A man's bulky ring glimmered on her thumb as she swept her hair out of her face with her nail, the other hand resting around a goblet. Remus had given her that ring, Allie had told Morgana. It had been his father's, but he had given it to Remus when he went to Hogwarts. In Morgana's memory, Remus was sitting next to Allie, his fingers brushing her arm as he watched her with gentle, warm happiness. It was in stark contrast to the raging grief the same face held tonight.

She was a teenager, barely out of Hogwarts. She was supposed to _do_ things in her life! She got three months out of Hogwarts and that was it? How could such a sweet, young person die in such a way? She died fighting to make a better world. Did they torture her? Was she afraid? Did she have any last words? Was she defiant to the end?

Morgana, exhausted, soon ran out of tears, her pillow damp from them. She kept her eyes closed, not having the strength or will to open them. Matt gently brushed her hair from her face and Sirius kept his hand on her back.

"Is she asleep?"

"I think so, yeah."

"I heard Remus, but who else was screaming?" Sirius asked in a whisper.

"Chris. She… she was the one to find her. Chris and Caradoc were in a pair in the woods and she started screaming like mad. He ran after her and saw Allie and brought Chris to Dumbledore. No one's allowed to see Allie. It was too gruesome. Caradoc- _Caradoc_, mind you- is really shaken up over it and he's one of the toughest blokes I know. He said she looked like…" Matt paused. Morgana thought he was checking if she was still asleep, so she pretended to be, not having the energy to do anything else. "He said she looked like a pile of meat. They mutilated her. We don't know who did it or how, but they think it was right when we left. We wouldn't have saved her no matter how soon they let us out of here."

Sirius let out a long stream of swearwords. "What about Chris? What'll they do with her?"

"Modify her memory, I'd imagine. Poor thing'll go mad otherwise. They don't usually modify people's memories just to take something out- memories are a tricky bit to mess with- but they'd have to in this case. If they can save her mental wellbeing by it, they will. When the screaming stops, she'll probably have it out of her head."

Faintly, but certainly, Morgana could hear Chris' screams in the hospital.

"The girls…" Sirius sighed. "Morgana, Lily, Chris, Allie… they grew up together. And Remus, blimey, I thought I went through that tonight and… at least I got a reprieve. You know how much he loves her. There's no way they were mistaken? It's not like it was with Morgana?"

"She's not coming back, I'm afraid. It's her. They found her yellow trainers by the… the body. Her hair, her clothes… It's Allie."

Morgana was paralyzed. She knew those shoes, canary yellow (Allie's favorite color) with white rubber toes and bright, clean laces. Allie had kept them pristine; they were her favorites. The only marks allowed on them were Allie's, Lily's, Chris', and Morgana's signatures on the toes. She kept them at the end of her bed during Hogwarts and Chris had often tripped over them. When she and Allie had an argument once (and only once; the two never fought), Chris had knotted the laces and tossed them out the window so they could hang on a tree branch just outside of the Charms window, the class Allie was in at the time. Morgana could still recall the look of outrage on her face while she sat next to Morgana as if it had been yesterday.

That girl, the girl with canary yellow shoes, who insisted in fifth year that all her friends sign them, was gone. She no longer smiled or held a look of shock and outrage, her laughter didn't echo anymore, instead her body was disfigured to the point where it drove her best friend to the brink of insanity, her screams still ringing in Morgana's ears, though she was sure she had quieted by now. Those trainers were now probably coated in dirt and blood, though a patch of ruined yellow might still be peeking through the grime. Her shoes were no longer pristine, her skin was no longer flawless, her eyes were no longer bright, her hair was no longer gleaming, and now the memories of Allie were no longer happy and innocent. Morgana knew that they had been marred forever in her mind, just as everything else that was Allie had been marred. Instead of a bright, quiet friend she was a wonderful girl who had flashed through their lives, leaving in tragedy and devastating pain. No matter how much Morgana wanted to forget it, her memory would always be tainted with violence and despair.

"Where was her father?" Morgana choked out, turning her head toward Matt who looked a bit shocked that she was awake. "Where was her father?" she repeated.

"I don't know. I didn't see him after we split up at the grounds. I heard him shouting, though, once she was found. I don't know why he isn't here yet. Maybe Dumbledore's tending to him or something…" Matt sighed, getting up. Morgana opened her mouth, wanting him to stay, but he did not leave. Instead, he turned down the lights a bit and took his seat by her bed again. "The Healers wouldn't hesitate to give you something to help with the dreams."

"Why should I be so privileged?" she whispered bitterly, rolling onto her back and turning her head to Sirius. He met her eyes for a moment before looking away. She closed them, trying to remember every aspect of Allie that she could. She wanted to imprint her in her mind forever- her eyes, her hair, her hands, the way her smile was different for certain people. Those things were gone forever and needed to live on somehow, someway, even if it was only to be in memories.

Matt got up and left, the light brightening for a moment before he closed the door again. Gasping, Morgana tried to hold back dry sobs.

"I know, sweetheart," he soothed gently.

"She's dead…" Morgana whispered.

The words fell on her ears and her heart skipped a beat as her stomach turned. Dead. There it was. Four simple letters. Allie had died.

"She was alone…" Morgana said quietly.

"Yes, but we all die alone."

"Oh, shut it!" she snapped tearfully. "It shouldn't be this way and you know it! Quit trying to be all wise and insightful!"

"Come here," he urged, tugging at her sleeve.

"Don't touch me."

"Morgana, please… come here."

She hesitated a moment before lying on her side next to Sirius "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Shh, don't be. You've nothing to be sorry for," he told her gently, tilting her head so that it rested on his shoulder.

"Now what do we do?" She was frozen and wanted to act instead, so she began to sit up. "I should go and see if I can find Caradoc or see how Chris is. And Remus'll be…"

"I'm sure they're all being tended to. They can wait a few more minutes if you want to stay with me," he told her, trying to hide the pleading tone in his voice, but she caught a bit of it.

Morgana paused for a second before nodding and relaxing again, continuing to wipe her eyes occasionally. "Okay," she whispered, giving Sirius a tiny, strained smile.

Allie. She had been with Sirius in this exact position at one time. She had been lounging on her side next to Sirius, lying on his arm in his bed in the boys' dormitories. Apart from Morgana, of course, Allie had really _talked_ to him more than any other girlfriend and he hadn't minded at all. In fact, he had preferred it. Like Morgana and Lily, Allie knew how to put him in his place. She always listened and gave good advice. What was more, she truly made Remus happy. The two of them were so similar: quiet, kind, calm. While Sirius and Morgana joked around and bickered in the boys' dormitories, Allie and Remus quietly sat on his bed, talking or reading, sometimes just content to sit together- they were the mature couple. It was extraordinary to Sirius how close all the Gryffindors of that year were; six of them had coupled off with each other and every single one of them were friends. They were a family and now one of them would never come home, leaving the other seven to never be the same again.

Sirius and Morgana turned their heads as the door clicked open, revealing Mr. Harmons' face.

"Morgana? Thank God…" he breathed as her mother pushed through the door, hurrying to her daughter who was up in an instant.

"Mum!" she exclaimed, hugging her mother and father.

"We didn't get to see where you were, you were carried off so fast. We asked the receptionist and she said you were here."

"Do you know what's happening with Chris?"

"Not a clue. Maybe you'd better find Lily; check upstairs," her father suggested. Morgana pulled away a bit from the embrace and looked at Sirius who nodded and then back at her parents and Steve. "Go. We understand. Sirius can fill us in, I imagine."

"You bet, Mr. H."

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she sighed, hugging her parents and uncle and quickly kissing Sirius.

The halls were silent except for Morgana's footfalls. Unsure of where they might be, she decided to go to the fifth floor where the tearoom was, figuring that the Healers had shooed them away from the patient rooms. Her speed varied- half of her wanted to see the others and hear about Chris, half of her didn't want another confirmation of Allie's death and just wanted to collapse on the stairwell and let her ears ring from the silence. The latter idea, though, died out as she saw several Healers going about their daily duties. The hospital was beginning to wake up.

The tearoom, though, was empty save for two workers who looked up when she entered.

"Excuse me; have you seen a group of people about my age?"

"Conference Room One," an old woman told her, pointing to a door past the tables. She gave them a small smile and went to the door, opening it slowly.

The Order members were huddled in several small groups, talking in hushed tones. Several were holding steaming cups and several more were wiping their eyes or blowing their noses. Lily's eyes flicked up and met Morgana's the moment she entered.

"Hey," Morgana choked, walking up to Lily. She pulled away from James and hugged her friend tightly as both of them were hit by a wave of fresh tears.

"How's Sirius?" Lily asked dejectedly.

"Mature… for once. How they can keep from bawling is just beyond me," she breathed, referring to the boys and wiping her eyes. She hugged James tightly before speaking again. "How's Chris?"

Lily shook her head, shutting her eyes tight for a moment before opening them again. "She's been sedated. They've called in one of the two specialists to modify her memory. Something that traumatic's bound to have spread: it's trickier." She leaned in closer to Morgana and whispered in her ear. "They did a quick modification to everyone's memory- Matt knows you're an Animagus, but the others don't know anything about you or Peter or anyone. We thought that was safest- need to know basis and all."

"Good."

"Remus went back home, his mother's tending to him… I can't imagine how he's feeling. They just got back together, you know… hadn't even told anyone yet. Not that we didn't _know_ those two weren't over it yet."

"And Caradoc?"

"Sedated. He won't let them modify him, though. He said he wants to remember it if he ever thinks of going soft on a Death Eater."

James put a hand on each of the girls' shoulders. "Why don't you two take a seat? You look like you'll fall over any minute now."

They looked over at the few chairs in the room, but they were filled. So, they sat against the wall, James on Lily's other side. Matt saw the three of them and sat next to Morgana when she patted the floor next to her. More and more gathered until everyone was sitting in a circle, completely silent. Tears fell noiselessly; no one looked at each other. Together, the Order faced the first casualty of one of their own, one of the youngest. Even some of those who didn't know Allie were crying; Morgana didn't recognize a handful of the mourners.

Time passed slowly and an easy blankness began to wash over Morgana as she heard a few visitors in the tearoom laughing. To the rest of the world, nothing had changed. Life went on as always and, somehow, thinking of that was a bit reassuring. Morgana was brought back to earth—things continued outside of their circle. It seemed to be contagious; the others stopped their crying and everyone began to look more and more tired. The grief was subdued for the moment, which Morgana thought was best, if only for a little while.

"I should go see Sirius," James sighed finally, looking at Lily. "Come with?"

She nodded and looked to Morgana who stood up with them, Matt following suit.

"Do you think he'd mind if Frank and I came, too?" Alice asked Morgana.

"Of course not," she told her, trying for a warm tone but just ending up with a croak. "The more, the… slightly-more-comforting, after all."

"Aye, nothing'll make this merrier," Frank muttered.

The six of them said their quiet goodbyes to the others, who assured them that they, too, would visit Sirius before his release from the hospital. The journey through the corridor and down the flights of stairs seemed like a practice funeral procession and Morgana thought that the footfalls of Frank's boots sounded like a deep, muffled voice saying her name—"_Al, Al, Al, Al…"_ Everyone else's footsteps sounded like a hammer pounding nails into a distant coffin, quiet but somehow forceful at the same time. Morgana's head spun; it was as if she was in a dark room, staring out at the bright hallway and watching everyone else walk past. She was on autopilot, wishing for someone to suck the grief off of everyone's chests and bring Allie back.

"James! James, sweetheart, thank goodness!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed when they entered Sirius' room. The woman threw her arms around James and kissed his cheek. "Your father and I are so happy you're safe, but poor Allison..."

"Mum, now might not be the best time…" James said quietly, patting her on the shoulder to try to calm her down.

"You're right. Of course, you are," she agreed distractedly. Her eyes locked on Lily and she was hugging her in moments as well. "Oh, Lily, we were so worried about you, too. All of you! Are you okay?"

"As to be expected."

"And Morgana, you too?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright."

"Yes, yes. Your parents and uncle left to try to fix your house up for Sirius and see what they can do for Remus and Mr. Etherson."

Morgana nodded and Mrs. Potter turned to Frank and Alice and greeted them as well. "Hello, dears. Haven't seen the two of you in ages. And who is this young man?"

"Matt McKinnon, ma'am," Matt said quietly, shaking the harried Mrs. Potter's hand. Morgana stepped away and crossed her arms as Frank, Alice, Matt, and Mrs. Potter began to speak softly while Mr. Potter, silent and unnoticed, slipped into the conversation. Sirius locked eyes with Morgana and she sighed, shuffling over to him as he spoke to James, switching his gaze between the two of them. Morgana sat in a chair by his injured side, pressing her fist to her mouth as the tears fell for a short while once again. The same thoughts seemed to be on a loop in her mind, all memories of Allie.

Lily was crying as well, losing her composure and burying her face in James' shoulder for a few minutes. She had faced unexpected deaths before, but not like this. Morgana knew she was still burdened with her parents' deaths and had never settled in with Morgana's family, though she was accepted in effortlessly and had always put on a smile. She was still haunted by the ordeal, as was to be expected. Morgana imagined that Allie's death would only bring those emotions back to the surface once more.

"Come on, beautiful," James urged, speaking into Lily's hair and kissing her head. "I'm taking you home. You shouldn't stay here like this."

"I'm fine, James."

"Go on, Lils," Sirius agreed, squeezing her hand. "We'll see you in a bit. You need to rest, I'm sure."

She tearfully shook her head, but complied when James patted her on the arm to try to make her stand up. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her out of the room, muttering farewells to everyone.

"You should go, too," Sirius told Morgana, but she shook her head.

"I don't want to go. Not until you can come home, too."

"I'll be home before you know it. You need to wash all of the muck off you and change your clothes, take a breather. Visit tonight and I'll be right here when you get back, promise."

"I really don't want to be alone in that house right now, Sirius. Please."

"Your parents and Steve are probably over there right now. Well, maybe you should go with someone, just in case. Hey, Matt," Sirius said a bit louder. Matt turned his head immediately, falling out of the conversation with the Potters. "Can you go with Morgana to the house? I know her parents are supposed to be there, but just in case, no one needs to be alone right now."

"Yeah, of course."

Morgana bent down and kissed Sirius. "I love you. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I love you, too."

"I'll come by again this evening, okay?"

Matt led her out into the lobby and held her arm as she had him Side-Apparate to her house.

"Nice place."

"My parents bought it for me. I thought they'd hate me moving out, but I think they figured it would be easier to move me out right after graduation rather than wait. Not to mention how much I would need to come and go for the Order," she explained, stepping into the empty kitchen and pausing as she thought. "She got me a mirror for a housewarming gift. How can I ever look into it?"

"I… I don't know," Matt confessed truthfully.

Morgana sighed and summoned some clothes before locking herself in the bathroom. She stood fully clothed for a few minutes before peeling away the layers of clothing, tossing them out onto the floor and watching the specks and streaks of dirt and blood contaminate the water pooling at her feet. Had she known twelve hours ago that she would be standing in her shower, grief-stricken and unable to get Allie out of her mind…

She washed up slowly, being rough on her skin and hair until her fingers were stiff from the scrubbing. The hot water helped her aching shoulder, but it still felt as though someone had pounded it with a hammer. She stepped out and changed into the new set of clothes, magically drying her hair and cleaning up the pile of wet clothes. Matt was waiting at the kitchen table, dozing off. He started when he saw her but relaxed and said, "I sent a Patronus to your parents to tell them we're here so they don't get spooked and think we're Death Eaters or something if they come in."

"Take a shower and then go sleep for a while. The couch is all yours," she told him dully, slowly walking into the living room as he went into the bathroom.

Morgana gravitated to the bookshelf and couldn't take her eyes off of the pictures.

In one, Allie, Remus, Morgana, Sirius, and Lily all sat on a couch in the common room, their feet propped up on a table while James laid across their laps, wiggling his feet and resting his head on Lily's lap as she slapped him. Allie leaned forward to tell the other girls something and the three of them laughed before leaning back and waving at the camera. Allie's ponytail whipped back and forth as she shook her head, grinning and kissing Remus' cheek as her eyes glinted.

In another, she and Chris were talking quietly in the dormitories. Morgana had taken this just before they had to start packing to leave at the end of seventh year. Here, Allie was her calm, quiet self while Chris had exaggerated expressions and rolled her eyes more times than Morgana cared to count. Allie would look at the camera, give it a small smile, and flutter her fingers in a wave before picking the conversation back up.

Morgana took the frame from the shelf and sat in the chair Sirius usually occupied, staring at the photo. When she had snapped this, Allie had mere _months_ to live. She had one more short summer and then no more. A dark thought crept into Morgana's mind: who else had mere _months_? Any one of her friends could have just as much time left as (or maybe even less than) Allie had when Morgana had taken that picture. What about Lily or James or Sirius? Would Remus or Chris take a stupid chance in their grief and lose their lives? There was no way to tell. It was unforeseeable by Allie's face in the picture. She hadn't said anything unusual. There were no signs or omens, she just… died.

Died. There was that word again. Morgana had to force herself to think it. It was easier to think "not living" than "dead" for some reason. Allie wasn't alive anymore. Allie died very early this morning. The first sentence was so much easier than the second. But there was a third fact… Morgana couldn't even bring herself to think it again. It seemed so much worse here in her home rather than at St. Mungo's. Her home was friendly, but now the silence rang in her ears and she was plagued with guilt and grief. She couldn't bring herself to think of those six words, just the emotions from them already had her sobbing again, but the finality of thinking and saying that sentence…

No, she had to think it. She had to say it. She only had so long to grieve before they had to help Chris and Remus and Mr. Etherson, so she had to make the most of her time. She had to stop trying to repress it. Those words needed to be said so that she could cry until there were absolutely no more tears left and Matt would have to give her a sleeping draught to calm her down for a few hours. She would visit Sirius that night with red eyes and wonder if the pain would ever pass or if she would just get used to having Allie be gone. And when Morgana went to sleep on the couch that night with Steve sleeping on an air mattress on the floor, she would dream of canary yellow shoes on the forest floor as she cowered behind a tree, shaking and wishing for the screams to stop. She would wake up twice that night and ache all over in the morning.

So, she said the six words, the third and final fact, sobbing as she went.

"I… will never see Allie… again."

**OxO**

The next day, Lily and Morgana knocked on Mrs. Lupin's door. Each of the girls sported matching sets of pink eyes and the pockets of their robes were stuffed with tissues.

"Good morning, girls," Mrs. Lupin said, looking rather weary. "I'm sure you're here to see Remus."

"If he's up for it. We just want to see how he's doing and if we can help," Lily explained.

"We wanted to bring this by," Morgana said, holding up a basket of food. "Lily, James, and I made enough food to feed an army yesterday and last night. It's so easier if we keep busy."

"That's very kind of you all. Why don't you come in?"

Lily and Morgana stepped inside the small house and followed Mrs. Lupin into the kitchen. "Can we help with anything?" Lily offered.

"Everything's well looked after, I think. Frank and Alice stopped by yesterday afternoon. Remus wouldn't see them, but they made the funeral arrangements for me. Mr. Etherson had enough trouble trying to get in contact with her mother and he didn't want to think about it, so he left it up to me, the poor man. It's scheduled for Wednesday. You'll both probably get an owl about it today. I forget what time she said…" the woman sighed, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "There'll be a short wake tomorrow. It seems like everything is moving so fast, but I suppose it's normal. It _has_ been a whole day."

"I think everyone just wants it to be over and have her at peace," Lily suggested.

"Yes… Why don't I go see if he's up for visitors? There's a kettle on the stove, so help yourselves."

Lily sat down and Morgana leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. "Tomorrow, huh?"

"Isn't Sirius released tomorrow?"

"They're thinking in the early afternoon. I'll get him home and settled and head off to the wake."

"You know he'll want to come with. Do you want James to come help? I don't like the idea of you transporting Sirius to a place you hardly know while he's in a wheelchair."

"It'd be great if he could come," Morgana nodded and they waited in silence for Mrs. Lupin to come back. She returned a minute later, looking a bit surprised. "He says he'll see you. I didn't think he would. You can go on up, I left the door propped."

"Thank you."

Lily and Morgana climbed the narrow staircase. Morgana thought that the house looked exactly like a place where Remus would live. It was small, but warm, full of books and photographs. Today, though, it seemed dull and grey, but Remus' room was even worse. Lily knocked and poked her head in. "Hey, Remus."

He was sitting on the floor by his bed, leaning back against the quilt. The way he was sprawled out made it look as if he had been shot and had sunk down to the ground. It seemed amazing how fast he had deteriorated. A day and a half had passed and he looked thinner than ever, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. His skin, dotted with stubble, was stretched gaunt across his cheeks, making the scars pop in the dim light. He made no effort to get up and only his eyes moved when they entered, kneeling down on either side of his legs. Morgana felt her stomach turn at how depressed he looked and she glanced over to see that Lily, too, had her lips pursed to keep composure. They sat in silence for several minutes as Remus stared at the foot of his dresser. His expression was full of agony. At last, he found his voice.

"Where's James?"

"He's at the hospital visiting Peter and Sirius. Pete can't leave for a few more days, but Sirius is coming home tomorrow," Lily informed him. Her voice was normal, but her face betrayed her.

"Chris?"

"She's home. Morgana and I tried visiting, but her parents said she's refusing visitors. We only talked to them on the porch, we weren't even allowed in. James wanted you to have this, though. He said it's from him, Sirius, and Peter." Lily pulled a rectangular box wrapped in black paper out of her purse. Remus slowly took it and unwrapped it, pulling a new bottle of Firewhiskey out. "Something tells me he wanted us gone before you opened it," Lily said.

"As long as Mum doesn't find out," he croaked, opening it, taking a gulp, and rolling the bottle under his bed. "The wake's tomorrow."

"Yes."

"The funeral's Wednesday. You know… she lived a lot of Wednesdays. Each one was exactly one week closer to her... her funeral," he observed, his voice breaking. "Some old fart who drank himself to death is probably going to get buried Wednesday, the same day as _my Allie_. He was responsible for his death, she wasn't. I don't get it. I don't get why some people get their arses kicked by life, you know? I mean, why does she die like that and you and James get to go off and get married and you get to have Sirius and Frank and Alice are given their wedding, but her and I get tossed about like this?"

"I don't think anyone understands," Morgana confessed, speaking for the first time since they entered. "We would do anything to have it be different, but it can't be. But we're here for you, whatever you need, Remus. Just say the word."

"I'm going to find out which of them did this and I will make each and every one of them pay," he said, his eyes glowing with hatred. "I will make what they did to her look like a fairy tale."

"Remus—" Lily began.

"I think you two better go. I want to be alone. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lily and Morgana exchanged looks, but decided to respect his wishes. They hugged him briefly and left the house, wondering if they had only succeeded in making things worse.

**OxO**

"Okay, Sirius, I don't want you to put any weight on that leg at all and try not to move your arm," Healer Fern said. "Just because you have a leg brace and a sling instead of casts, doesn't mean you can do whatever you feel like. Don't you touch that left wheel until this time next week, understand? Morgana or someone is to be pushing you around for a week. You can hop on your good foot to get out of the chair and sit down on the couch or wherever, but no more than that," the Healer explained firmly. She looked curiously torn for a moment and then sighed. "You're okay to Apparate to your friend's wake and back, but that's it. I want as little Apparation as possible. It can do strange things to your healing process if you do it too much."

"Okay," Sirius agreed, eager to leave the hospital room. He was dressed in a suit for the wake and Morgana in a black dress.

Getting Sirius released was taking longer than expected and the wake was over half way through by now. Morgana quickly agreed their way through the rest of the explanations before pushing Sirius out of the room, her heels clicking down the hall. James and Lily, waiting in the lobby, sprang up when they entered and James put his hands on Sirius' shoulders, Disapparating quickly. Morgana and Lily followed after them, arriving at the corner of the funeral home's parking lot. James handed Sirius back over to Morgana and they quickly walked into the small entrance hall, turning to the right to see Mr. Etherson greeting mourners near a wooden podium. An older couple Morgana didn't recognize was signing the book and moving toward Allie's father. They all signed in and waited to speak to Mr. Etherson.

"I expected to see you lot here sooner," he sighed when they gathered around him. He looked just as gaunt as Remus, perhaps even more so.

"We got stuck at the hospital. We meant to be here earlier. I'm sorry," Morgana explained.

"Oh, I'm not blaming you. You shouldn't be here all day. At any rate, you beat her mother."

"She's not here?" Lily asked, surprised.

"I haven't been able to reach her. I've tried everything, but she's nowhere to be found. Figures with that woman. She wasn't there for Allie in life, why should she be in d-death?" he said, a slight snarl in his voice, even as it caught on the final word. "I'm so glad she has friends like you lot. And, I don't mean to bother, but I just think it's worth a shot to say it and I owe it to you: Don't do this. Don't fight. You're kids, fresh outta school. Let the trained wizards and witches deal with it; don't make your parents go through what I'm going through right now. I don't want her death to be in vain."

"All due respect, but that's why we've got to keep fighting, sir," James told him firmly. "If we quit now, it _will_ be in vain. Someone's got to fight and I think we've got the most talented witches and wizards out there. If we can't do it, no one can."

"I figured you'd say something like that. Just try to stay as safe as possible, eh? No parent should have to bury their child."

"Mr. Etherson, we better let you go. There's a line halfway to Russia behind us," Lily sighed, hugging the man. Morgana followed suit and James and Sirius shook his hand before they moved on to Remus who was sitting in a chair in the row nearest to the coffin. It was surrounded by yellow roses and pictures of Allie.

"Hey, guys, thanks for coming," Remus said dutifully, getting up and meeting them in the aisle. Although he was clean and dressed up, he still looked haggard. His outburst from the day before was long forgotten—it didn't look like he could ever be angry again, just extremely sad. "I just sat down. I've been greeting people all morning."

"Well, sit back down. We're no one to get up for," James ordered, gently pushing Remus into his chair again.

"Yeah, I've taken to not even walking in the presence of others," Sirius joked, patting the wheelchair. Remus pulled up a corner of his mouth in acknowledgement.

"I don't know if Paul told you," Remus began, referring to Mr. Etherson, "but we're asking everyone to try to wear some yellow tomorrow. He's been preoccupied with Allie's mother and everything, so it's sort of fallen onto me. You can wear as much or as little as you want, but we just thought it would be nice to have it in there since she was so young and we didn't think she'd want everything in black anyway. Lils, Ana, you can wear an outfit that's entirely yellow if you want to go that far, we don't really care. Pads, Prongs… don't do anything embarrassing and you'll be fine."

"We can do somber, Moony," Sirius assured him sincerely. "After all, my name is Sirius Black, I should try to live up to it once in a while."

"Well, we're trying to make it a little more of celebration of life rather than a dreary funeral. Things are morbid enough as is. We were wondering if you girls wanted to say a few words. It doesn't have to be long, just a nice eulogy."

"Yeah, of course," they agreed quietly.

"And then James, if you could be a pallbearer, Frank, Caradoc, Matt, and Allie's twin cousins are going to be the others." Remus seemed so composed now. Morgana thought he was trying to be occupied with the services and wait to grief for her, throwing himself entirely into giving her a good send off. "We'd have you be one too, Pads, but seeing as you're an invalid now…" His attempt at a joke was feeble.

"I bet I can come up with no less than seventy-three ways to make you an invalid with that flower arrangement over there," Sirius replied effortlessly. The corners of Remus' mouth twitched before he looked gaunt once more. He looked past Morgana's shoulder and they all turned to see Professor McGonagall coming toward them.

"Hello, Professor," Remus said.

She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm so sorry. All of you. Barely out of my house and already…"

"She was the definition of a true Gryffindor," Sirius said firmly.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Black."

"Is term starting well?" Remus asked, his voice tight.

"Yes, yes. Very well," she replied dismissively, waving her hand. "It's too quiet of a year. Not one Slytherin went to the hospital this week for abnormal bodily functions. Most peculiar that it hasn't happened this year, yet the Hospital Wing was never empty the last seven years."

"Most unusual. You should look into it," Sirius said.

"Black, I believe I am right now and it's sitting in a wheelchair."

"Don't bully the invalid, Professor. He's got enough problems," Sirius scolded, pointing his finger and frowning.

She pursed her lips, but relaxed when seeing that the corners of Remus' mouth twitched again. "Is Peter Pettigrew still in the hospital?"

"Yes, he'll be released tonight or tomorrow morning, and Chris went home yesterday, but she's refusing visitors. I think she's recovering from the memory modification as well," Lily informed her.

"Those two girls were inseparable... Well, I should pay my respects and be on my way. I have a lesson in a few minutes. I'll see you all soon, I imagine."

Remus sighed and got up. "I should be getting back to my job, too. Let me know when you guys leave, okay?" He walked back down the center aisle to hug a middle-aged woman and the others made their way over to Matt, Frank, Alice, Caradoc, the Prewett brothers, and other Order members who were talking in small groups amongst themselves. Morgana knew they were making social visits to everyone first, because after sitting by the coffin and thinking about Allie a while, no one would be in the mood to talk much.

"Hey, Sirius, nice wheels," Matt observed.

"Cost an arm and a leg," Sirius quipped. Morgana and Lily rolled their eyes, not amused. Only Sirius would crack jokes at a childhood friend's wake.

"Ah, let him be. A chuckle here and there won't hurt anyone. I'm sure she'd like it if she were here. She was constantly smiling," Matt told Morgana, gently shaking her by the shoulder.

"Remus told you about the yellow tomorrow?" Alice asked.

"Yep."

"It's supposed to be damp and a bit chilly, so you could probably do with an umbrella or coat if you have any in yellow," Alice suggested, her eyes wandering to the coffin. "I should go pay my respects."

"Me, too. You coming, Ana?"

"Yeah," she sighed, looking down at Sirius. He squeezed her hand.

"Go on. James and I'll be over in a minute," he assured her, trying to listen to some news Frank had about the boarding school mission. Morgana caught up to Lily and Alice who were seated in the front row by the casket, dabbing their eyes. Morgana took a seat and Lily gasped, crying harder.

"This is going to sound really vain of me and horrid, but I don't mean it like that at all… I just thought of something… I'll be short a bridesmaid. There'll be her empty spot. She won't be at my wedding or Christmas or parties. She won't be _anywhere_ anymore. She's always going to be missing. It's not just the wedding, it's our entire lives."

Morgana held Lily's hand and Alice put an arm around the red head's shoulder and said quietly, "Well, that's why we're crying, isn't it? It's not vain—it's final."

"I think you just had a Eureka moment of some sort," Morgana said.

"Yeah, well, it sucks. The entire situation does. And by the word _sucks_, I'm underexaggerating, of course." Lily groaned and covered her face. "She won't be here for anything anymore. She won't be here for anyone's weddings or birthdays or holidays or when babies are born. I mean, I knew it, but I didn't really think of it like that. I just thought of her…" she trailed off, circling her hands and trying to find the right words, but giving up a few moments later. "I'm just starting to get that she's… ended. God, it's just like _them_ all over again," she wept quietly, burying her face in her hands. Alice looked at Morgana over the top of Lily's head.

"Her parents?" she mouthed silently. Morgana gave her a tiny nod before hugging Lily and resting her head on Lily's shoulder.

"It's okay, Lils. Cry as much as you need."

She pulled her head up and fiddled with her handkerchief and sniffed, "I don't understand it. I wasn't this much of a wreck at their funerals but at Allie's…"

"I'm going to get you some water, okay?" Alice offered, getting up and hurrying off. Morgana linked her arm with Lily's and held her right hand with both of hers.

"You know, when you're a kid, sometimes you think about your parents dying. It's natural when you hear so many stories about orphans, but we're not supposed to think about our friends dying. Not when they're our age and we've grown up with them and just got out of school, even if we _are_ fighting in a war like this. No one expected it. It was our first battle. You're going to be a wreck because…"

"We're not kids anymore now. We're grownups. We're not even teens. I mean, by definition, yeah, but not really. Not anymore. We're getting married, having our own houses, fighting bad guys, dying for a cause. We're eighteen. We're only eighteen."

Now it was Morgana's turn to cry. Eighteen. A few years ago, when she was a child, she couldn't understand why anyone would want to be kissed and was being tucked in by her father, counting the birthdays until she could go to Hogwarts. Childhood seemed like last week, but her first Order meeting, where engagements were announced and she was reunited with old friends, seemed like a century ago. The tears slid down her face steadily, but she didn't make a sound. She didn't whimper or heave shuddering gasps, she just bit her lip and stared at the foot of an easel holding a large picture of Allie smiling at them all. She couldn't bear to look at the photos, not of eighteen-year-old Allie beaming or of six-year-old Allie with the pigtails in the wagon. When Allie was six, a third of her life was over. By nine, she was midway through her time with them. Her sweet sixteen marked her third to last birthday party—sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, gone. She had known Morgana just short of half of her life. Seven years. When they met on the train, Morgana didn't know that the quiet girl with the light brown ponytail and stick thin arms and legs would grow up to be her beautiful friend and would die in a little over seven years. If she had been looking at a timeline, she would be closer to the end marked "DEATH" than the one marked "BIRTH" that day she met Lily, Morgana, and her best friend, Chris. Even as she introduced herself, she had been dying.

"I should have brought two glasses, I see," Alice commented, watching Morgana cry.

"I don't need any," Lily said, her face drying now that she had stopped her weeping. She handed Morgana the glass of water and watched her friend drink half of it and then hold it in her lap.

James and Sirius came over soon and spent the remainder of the wake by Allie's casket. The hour and a half was broken up by a few people coming to speak to the group. They had recognized the Marauders, Frank, Alice, Lily, and Morgana from some of the pictures spread around and exchanged anecdotes before stopping by the casket and heading out the door. Mr. Etherson came to the front of the room right at the hour and cleared his throat. By that time, the room was a bit fuller than it had been all day, and he looked worse than ever, but his voice was strong.

"I would just like to thank everyone for coming today. This is a very difficult time for us all and I know that she would be happy to see such good company gathering in her name. It's truly humbling to see how many people my daughter has touched and how good those people are. We've received a few very kind donations of flowers and food and some monetary donations to help cover the expenses for the ceremonies. No one can plan for this, but it's inspiring to see how many people will help you at your darkest hour.

"I won't sugar coat it. The last time I spoke to Allison, we argued. I wanted her to stay safe, but she wanted to fight for what she believed in. She wanted to make the world a better place and to make a difference. Maybe she didn't get to in the way that she planned, but I think that just being herself, she made our lives better. Being her father, I would have loved her even if she was completely opposite, but she made it so easy to love her. Quiet, compassionate, sincere, and sometimes surprising… She was Allie. Thank you again," he repeated. Mr. Etherson stepped down and walked back down the center aisle to talk to a few more people as the crowd began to murmur once more.

"We'd better go," James suggested, standing up. "You girls have a eulogy to write and I'm sure Mr. Etherson just wants to get home. Four less people to shove out the door if we leave."

Remus stepped into the group, overhearing James. "He's right. You shouldn't have to stay here until the last person leaves. We'll be clearing out soon, anyway. Go on. I'm sure you have to get Sirius settled in yet, anyway."

Lily stepped forward and hugged him, kissing his cheek. "G'bye, Remus. See you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Morgana hugged him as well. "Love you, Moony." He kissed her cheek and she stepped back. James hugged him tightly and patted him on the back. Remus and Sirius exchanged glances, Remus trying hard to act as he normally would. Sirius puckered his lips and squeezed his eyes shut.

"It'll be a cold day in hell when I kiss that mug," Remus chuckled, though it still sounded very strained.

"You know you want to. What've Lily and Morgana got that I haven't?"

"Sirius Black the Ladies' Man doesn't know his basic anatomy?"

"Touché, Moony, but I'm still waiting."

"Get him out of my sight," Remus joked dully. "See you tomorrow, guys." Morgana quickly pecked Sirius' still-puckered lips and wheeled him around so she could push him back to the exit.

"You know," James began wistfully in the parking lot. "Had we not been at our friend's very public wake, you would have been kissing something very different than your dear Morgana's succulent lips. It was the perfect opportunity and I had to miss it."

"What do _you_ know about her succulent lips?"

"You kissed my fiancée!"

"When we were kids!"

"Well, that's how I became acquainted with Morgana's mouth, too!"

"James, that's enough!" Lily hissed. "We're leaving a wake, for crying out loud!"

"And Sirius Black, you would do well to live up to your name for once, too. Honestly, you weren't hanging out with your mates on a Friday night. You were at _Allie's wake_, or had you forgotten? I can't even count the innuendos you made tonight," Morgana said angrily.

"Hey, people deal with death in different ways," he said sincerely. "I'm a humor guy and everybody could use a good natured chuckle once in a while. Didn't you see other people? They were talking and telling little stories about Allie and they'd laugh every once in a while. Pardon me for not bawling my eyes out."

That did it. Morgana stopped in her tracks and let go of the wheelchair to cross her arms. Lily, too, stopped to look at Sirius.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong," he apologized quickly.

"Sounded like it came out just fine, didn't it, Lils?"

"_I_ thought so."

James stepped in. "Hold on here, guys. I think we're losing sight of what we just came out of and where we're going tomorrow. The funeral's tomorrow and we're arguing about whether Sirius is an insensitive idiot or just a regular idiot."

Sirius immediately began to backpedal, however. "What I meant was that I'm not a crying type of person! Part of that is me being a guy, the other part of that is just me being me! I'm going to miss Allie, too, but she's not in pain, she's not scared, she doesn't have to fight anymore or anything like that. I like to think she's someplace better and that's something to be happy about. I wish she didn't have to die so young and if she did I wish it was something easier and not horrific, so that's what'll make me sad. Funerals are so focused on mourning the dead so as to comfort the living, but maybe it'd be more of a comfort if it was more focused her life, not the way she went out." He paused, waiting for an argument, but everyone remained silent. "Morgana, she died thinking you were dead—we all thought it. Don't you think she's happy that you're alive? Do you think she'd want to see you wasting a single minute being pissed at me over her wake? She's not like that! Yeah, she didn't want to die, but don't you think she's glad we all came out of this alive and not too-terribly maimed?"

Morgana waited a moment before pushing him toward the corner of the parking lot again. "You would have made a really good con artist," she told him. "It's not like we were trying to cry, you know."

"You're supposed to mourn at a wake and we were, just in different ways," he assured her as James grabbed his shoulders so they could Disapparate. Lily and Morgana lingered in the parking lot for one more moment.

"Sirius is going to pay dearly for that, isn't he?"

"For thinking for one moment that he won an argument? Wouldn't have it any other way. And James?"

"Trying to play mediator because he was chicken enough _not_ to pick a side? It'd be disrespectful to Al if things changed just because we were at her wake." Lily held out her hand so Morgana could Side-Along Disapparate. "Besides, as much as Allie loved them, you know she adored it when we made those two pay."

**OxO**

Morgana was staring at the casket yet again as the congregation sang a hymn. She had tried to listen to the minister when he greeted the crowd, but found that nothing really sank in. She was numb, unfocused, and unable to take her eyes off of her friend's coffin for more than a few moments.

She and Lily had cried when they wrote the eulogy, as was to be expected. They all remained quiet for the rest of the night, but it had been peaceful and calm. The silence didn't ring in her ears anymore and she thought for a moment, a bit baffled, that maybe most of the grieving would be buried with Allie. Now that Morgana was sitting at the funeral, she knew she had been wrong.

Remus and Mr. Etherson looked worse than ever now that they couldn't throw themselves into making sure the services ran smoothly and they could no longer pretend to be businesslike for a few minutes. James held Lily's hand as she dried the steady stream of silent tears from her cheeks. Occasionally she would pick at her yellow nail polish or straighten the yellow shrug she had put on over her strapless black dress.

To Morgana's left, Sirius was holding her hand. Most of the men were wearing yellow ties and had a yellow rose or carnation or cloth in their pocket; but, James and Sirius had taken it one step further, wearing matching pairs of bright yellow dress shoes. James had also wrapped yellow ribbons onto the spokes of the wheels on Sirius' chair and magically changed the color of the seat and back of it to match temporarily. In addition, Morgana had sworn that she had spotted a tube of yellow face paint as James shoved it into his jacket pocket, but he must have thought better of it. Of course, Morgana had put on yellow as well. She tied some of Sirius' left over ribbon to hold her pony tail and had painted her nails yellow as well. She even stole the spool of very wide ribbon from James and belted her dress around the waist with a bow in the back. She and Lily also had found a yellow trench coat and a jacket in their respective closets along with a yellow umbrella at Morgana's parents' house. She smiled a little when she thought of how much Allie would relish everyone looking like a swarm of bumblebees just for her.

Morgana wasn't smiling for long, though. Lily tugged her sleeve and they walked to the podium for the eulogy.

Lily switched the papers so that the eulogy notes were on top and looked out at the crowd, giving them a strained but warm smile, "A bit unconventional to have two of us up here, but we didn't think that the services needed to include a cat fight to see who would be the eulogist." A murmur of chuckles made its way through the crowd before Lily started again.

"On the eighth of June in 1960, Allison Etherson came into the world. Family members who were there and pictures from that day can assure you that she was a beautiful baby girl who continued to get more beautiful every moment. She was a happy, laughing little girl and that never changed.

"Morgana and I met Allie on the train to school seven years ago on September first. Along with Christine Handers, we four became fast friends and spent the best years of our lives together. We all grew to be like sisters, especially Chris and Allie, who had no siblings of their own.

"I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to spend seven years with Allie, laughing, crying, talking, and, most usually, studying until we were cross-eyed and seeing several Allies at once." There were a few more chuckles. "In our group of friends, Allie was the quiet, sensible one. She wasn't always in the center of things, but she was supportive, compassionate, bright, and one of the kindest people I've ever met. I think that's how we all knew her to be. She was optimistic and loved her friends and family dearly. If one of us was happy, she was happy. If someone was sad, she was there to comfort them." Lily stepped aside for Morgana.

"For all of this," Morgana said, "she needs to be remembered for her life, not her death, because death was just one part of her, one small moment which we will forever feel the consequences of. Everything she was was because of her life, not her death. In her life, she had family, made friends, and fell in love. She leaves all those people, all of us, behind.

"We_ can_ never and _will_ never forget her. Something will always trigger Allie in our hearts and minds: a song, a smell, a picture, even something as simple as the color yellow. We can remember the bright eighteen-year-old who left us far too soon and just follow her example and try to make the world a better place and always be kind and never be afraid to laugh. If there were more Allies in the world, it'd be a much better place to live and that's all she wanted—a better place for us all. I just wish she could be here with us, and I'm not alone in wishing that. But she'll never really be gone. Never. So, this is only goodbye for a little while." Morgana and Lily simultaneously turned to the coffin.

"We'll see you later, Al," Lily said softly. The two walked back to their seats and sat down.

"You're shaking," Sirius whispered to Morgana, grabbing her hand and kissing it. Morgana squeezed his hand back and made it through the rest of the funeral without tears. She could tell that Lily wasn't paying attention to anything going on either. The redhead had been staring at the base of the podium for the entire service and was always late when she had to stand or sit or respond. It seemed to take an age before James and the other pallbearers went up and carried the casket down the aisle, Allie's father, Remus, Lily, Morgana, and Sirius not far behind.

"Thank you, girls, really," Mr. Etherson told Lily and Morgana, gripping their hands momentarily.

"We just said what we knew," Lily said.

"And that was what needed to be said. Morgana, you might want to get Sirius to the car," he added, seeing that others were leaving the church and the steps were already starting to get crowded.

"We'll see you there, then. Come on, speed racer," she sighed, pushing Sirius away toward the car. She opened the door and supported him as he somehow managed to maneuver into the passenger's seat by hobbling on one foot. With the wheelchair folded and tossed in the trunk, she took the driver's seat and they waited in silence for a few minutes as people went to their cars.

"Lily's still talking to Paul. Looks like he's crying," Sirius noted, watching out the window. From a distance, they could see Lily gripping Mr. Etherson's forearm as he nodded and looked at the ground.

"I can't even imagine what he must be feeling…"

"She's getting him toward the hearse now," he commented, his eyes following Lily as she guided the man toward the black hearse before walking to James. He hugged her and they went to her car in front of Morgana's, holding up a hand to the others.

"Do you think it's peaceful where she is?" Morgana asked quietly.

"I think she's happy. Whether or not that involves peace doesn't matter. Maybe she's kicking Death Eater arse way up there and it's constant excitement or maybe not. Maybe she's just floating about somewhere, finally resting. As long as she's happy…"

"It's just… not right!" she said shrilly as tears came to her eyes once more. "There's not a person in the world sweeter than her, so why did it have to happen? Who knows what she could've done! Maybe she'd find the cure to some disease or be a brilliant leader or something."

"It's not right, but maybe one of those kids at the school is going to find the cure or be the leader. It's not right, it's not just, but it's certainly not going to be in vain."

"I don't want any of us to go through this again."

"You can't always get what you want, but I promise you that you will _never_ have to go to my funeral because of this war."

"Ditto," she sighed, still crying.

"Start her up, I think we're moving."

As with all funerals, the drive to the cemetery was painfully slow and Sirius and Morgana remained silent. They crawled through the streets of the small town Allie had grown up in and then, finally, reached a cemetery. The hearse led them, winding through the cemetery until they reached a lot near the middle. About five or six rows back was a newly dug grave with bars across the top of it. After a few minutes, the pallbearers were resting Allie's coffin atop the bars and everyone was settling in. Finally, the priest began to speak.

"Let us commend Allison Etherson to the mercy of God…"

His words washed over Morgana in a dismal echo. She could hear them repeated over and over again and she began to question their validity.

'_And if I want to commend her to the mercy of her friends? Who's to say God will take her? Can't He reject her and tell her to go back to her body and let us deal with her?_'

A crisp breeze blew Morgana's dress about her knees. The weather seemed to be blank- not all that sunny, not all that cloudy, just… empty. It was a bit chilly for September and wind swirled the first leaves of fall along the ground. They had wilted early, unable to stand the bitter frost from the nights before. It would be a bitterly cold winter with such a cruel frost so early in the year.

Morgana looked around at her friends, trying not to give in to the sickening need to look at Allie's coffin. Everyone stood except for three men. Sirius was next to Morgana in his wheelchair. Allie's grandfather sat directly opposite of Sirius on the other side of the coffin. He grasped his cane in both hands, closing his eyes and nodding slowly as the priest prayed. He reminded Morgana of churchgoers she had seen on T.V. who constantly, evenly moved their heads, murmuring in agreement as a choir belted loudly, "_Lord, move that mountain_!" He was wrinkled and worn, but serene.

Then, there was Remus.

He had fallen to the grass the moment everyone had gathered and seemed to have no will to get up, and no one blamed him. He was kneeling, hands clasped in prayer as he looked like he would cry any moment. Morgana never knew any of them to be of any religion, save for Lily and Allie, who hadn't practiced after beginning Hogwarts. Remus looked as if he had gone to services every Sunday of his life and was begging for a favor- _'Just let her come back. Please, give her back_.' Then again, what body did she have to go back to? It was so bad Caradoc had made sure that the coffin was sealed with a permanent sticking charm. Apart from the authorities and those who had put her in the coffin, he was the only one who had seen her without having his memory modified. He now stood in the second row, just in Morgana's peripheral view. She turned her head slightly to see him staring at the coffin as if he could see right through it. She was probably burned into his mind.

Lily sniffled from the other side of Sirius, tears streaming down her face. James pulled an arm around her shoulders and Sirius looked up at Morgana, kissing her hand gently. She knew he was imagining her in that wooden box and was torn between relief and mourning. Allie's father stood next to her grandfather and was crying openly. Her mother hadn't even shown up. No one knew where she was. Chris hadn't come either and Morgana hadn't seen her in several days, no one had. She figured she was hiding out at home, still recovering from the memory modification and still paralyzed with grief. No one blamed her in the slightest.

There was silence before the priest said, "We therefore commit Allison's body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to Eternal Life. Amen."

There was a chorus of soft _amen_s and people began to file past, pausing at or touching the casket before leaving the cemetery. Eventually, only the Order members and Allie's father remained, her grandfather hobbling to his beat-up car. Caradoc led the Order members out, each placing a yellow rose on top of the wood. One by one, they left the Marauders, Lily, Morgana, and Mr. Etherson at the grave. Peter limped up to the casket and paused for a full minute before leaving; then James and Sirius stepped up. Sirius leaned forward, kissing his fingers and then touching them to the wood of the casket before he and James went to the car. Lily held her hand out to Morgana and the two stood next to the casket and Morgana was struck with a nauseating thought.

'_I will never be this close to Allie ever again.'_

She inhaled sharply as images of Allie hit her square on. The memory of Allie at breakfast; Allie and Morgana giggling quietly on the floor in the girls' dormitories, talking about boys and teachers; Allie rolling her eyes at Remus and dangling her toes in the lake; Allie raising her hand in class; Allie groaning as Professor McGonagall handed out an impossibly long assignment; Allie smiling as she kissed Remus; Allie whispering secrets to Chris; Allie looking utterly terrified at the boarding school; Allie, Allie, Allie…

She remembered Allie giving her the stuffed bear on Valentine's Day with the generic "I love you beary much!" card. That card had been taped to Morgana's mirror for the rest of their time at Hogwarts and the two had always found it much funnier than intended. A mere glance at it when the two were in each others' company had sent them into giggles. The thought of it now made Morgana hold back laughter in spite of herself.

"Love you. We won't ever forget you, Al," Lily whispered to the coffin, finished and now waiting for Morgana.

"I… I love you beary, _beary_ much, Allison Etherson, and I always will," Morgana whispered, smiling. Lily squeezed her hand and they followed James and Sirius out of the cemetery, leaving Remus and Mr. Etherson to kneel side-by-side, finding company in each other.

"What are you thinking?" Sirius asked suspiciously when Morgana walked up to them. Her smile had turned into a mischievous smirk and there was a wild gleam in her eyes.

"I was just thinking that Allie's somewhere _up_ there, right? And I was also thinking how much she loved it when you used to pull fireworks pranks… maybe we could send a few up for her tonight. Something so loud she'll be able to hear it and so bright she won't see anything else and so high that it'll almost reach her," Morgana said.

Lily grinned, as did James and Sirius.

"Well, Prongs, do you think we can work up a worthy tribute on such short notice?" Sirius asked.

"Just the two of us? Heavens, no. But maybe if we had two capable witches to help…"

Morgana and Lily exchanged glances and then nodded.

And that night, with all the smoke hanging in the air from the crateful of fireworks, the girls ginned and knew it was precisely what Allie would have wanted.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow. That took an incredibly long time to write and rewrite.

I hope I did the death justice. It's really hard to write about something that you've been fortunate enough _not_ to experience. And, while writers are supposed to be somewhat imaginative, death, especially the death of someone young and close, is sort of an unimaginable thing, even if it _is_ inevitable.

I'm much happier with the way this chapter turned out. Before, when I posted the original version, I didn't feel quite right about it but I thought that I needed to post it since I hadn't updated in so long. Once I saw that someone else noticed it wasn't up to par, I realized, yeah, it needed redoing.

This being something I haven't had a whole lot of experience with, I apologize to anyone who thinks I didn't do it justice. There were so many tears in this chapter and also a lot of… trying to rebuild and beginning to move on. Everyone copes in different ways and I think that the characters in this situation would be really torn because they're all so young and alive, but one of them isn't anymore. And I, personally, wouldn't want a terribly sad and depressing funeral, so I didn't think Allie would either (what teenager wants their friends sobbing all day?) and her friends recognized that and tried to give her a bit of a laugh and a show between their tears.

It should also be said that I sort of wanted to flesh Allie out a bit more before she died, but I think that this was the right time and that she had the right amount of characterization (or perhaps lack thereof). No, we _didn't_ know a whole lot about her before she died, but that didn't make it less significant. And I think that's one of the great realities of war and life, at least as seen in the Potterverse. Look at how Cedric died or how any of the other characters died. We didn't know everything about them and, at times, they were just sort of there as part of the scenery. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, and that applies to people as well.

Okay, I think this note has gone on for long enough. I'll direct you over to my profile for more updates because I'll definitely be making them on there.


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